Victoria Thompson

Texas Blonde

With thanks to my mother-in-law,

Jeane Thompson,

one of the world's great storytellers, for all her ideas,

and,

To Nira, Phyllis, and Susan for their wonderful feedback.

Chapter One

"Are you sure it was a real girl, Cody? It's been a while since you've seen one, and you might've got it wrong," one of the cowboys said with a snicker.

"Did you see her out on the range or did she come to the line shack?"

"Do you see her in the daytime or just at night?"

"Is she pretty?"

"Hell, if I'd knowed you'd get a girl, I'd of volunteered to ride the line, too!"

Up on the ranch house porch, Josh Logan paused in the process of rolling himself a cigarette, distracted by the commotion down in the yard. His men had preceded him out of the house after the noon meal, and he could see them all clustered around someone. Someone who looked a lot like Cody Wells.

Josh frowned. Cody was one of the cowboys assigned to ride the line during the long winter months and protect the far reaches of the ranch. His being here at the house meant something was wrong, and that could only mean Ortega.

Josh felt a surge of excitement at the thought of once again encountering his old enemy. The bandit must have come north early this year to be causing trouble already. Josh hurried down the stairs toward the group of men, but as he got closer and heard the things the men were saying to Cody, his enthusiasm quickly changed to perplexity.

"What's going on here?" Josh demanded, all thoughts of his nemesis Ortega wiped completely from his mind. As he worked his way through the crowd to where Cody stood, the other men stepped back to allow him room. He was the boss, and that was one reason they did so, but they probably would have anyway. Something about Josh Logan gave him an air of authority that other people just naturally respected. He wasn't especially tall, not more than an inch or so taller than any of the other men, so it had to have been his manner that commanded attention. Or perhaps it was the way he looked, the calm steadfastness of his gray eyes or the venerable mane of silver hair. Like all the men in his family, Josh had begun to grow gray at the age of eighteen. Now, ten years later, his hair was completely white, lending him an air of dignity far exceeding what he had earned by living twenty-eight years. "What's all this about a girl?"

Cody looked up at him with relief,, happy to be rescued from the taunting. "I found a girl out on the range, Mr. Logan, about five miles east of the line shack. She's all alone with her wagon. She said her pa was out hunting, but I didn't see no sign of him, so I think she was lying about that, and I tried to get her to come back to the ranch with me, but she wouldn't do it, and-"

"Hold up there, son," another voice admonished. Cody turned impatiently to Bill Grady, Mr. Logan's foreman, who was chuckling good-naturedly. "Are you sure you really saw a girl? Maybe you just wanted to. You've been out on the line a long time, you know," he allowed, referring to the custom of having men posted at various outlying cabins during the winter months. Their job in this era of open range was to ride the boundaries of the ranch on a daily basis and drive back any cattle they found drifting onto a neighbor's property. The men would be stationed out there months at a time, alone, and Cody would not have been the first to start imagining outlandish things.

Cody scowled, first at Mr. Grady and then at Mr. Logan and the ring of grinning faces that surrounded him. "She was real, all right. I talked to her," he said defiantly. Seeing only skepticism, he appealed to Mr. Logan again. "We can't just leave her out there. Something might happen to her. We've got to do something."

The rancher studied the boy's flushed face. Josh knew he might be wasting his time, but he'd never seen Cody so upset before. What would it hurt to check out his story? "All right, Cody. I'll go and see your girl. I haven't seen one in a long time," he added with a grin, drawing an understanding laugh from the rest of the men. "You go and grab a bite to eat first. Grady and I will wait for you, and then you can take us out."

Bill Grady rolled his eyes in silent protest at accompanying Josh on this wild-goose chase and scrunched his homely, sun-browned face into a disapproving frown. Josh ignored him.

"I ain't hungry, Mr. Logan," Cody insisted. "We can go right away."

Josh shook his head at Cody's impatience. "Go eat. She'll wait for you," he promised.

Defeated, Cody stamped into the ranch house to bolt down his dinner.

"Josh, that's a two-hour ride," Grady began in disapproval.

"I was going to ride out that way anyhow in the next day or so," Josh explained. "And besides, what if there really is a girl?"

Felicity squinted anxiously into the distance for the tenth time in as many minutes. Still no sign of that cowboy and his friend, she noted with relief. But her relief was short-lived. A hasty glance at the position of the sun informed her that several hours had passed since he had ridden away, promising to return with his boss, Mr. Logan. They would surely be here any time now, and what would she do then?

Frantically, she hurried over to where her father's rifle was propped against the wagon. Picking up the weapon carefully, she tested its weight. If only she knew whether it was loaded or not. If only Papa hadn't insisted that ladies did not need to know anything about guns. And if only Papa hadn't died and left her all alone…

No! She would not think about that. Felicity lifted her chin and straightened her shoulders and gingerly set the rifle back down again. There was no use wishing for things that could not be. And there was no use in working herself up for a case of the vapors either.

"'Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day…" she quoted doggedly. Quoting Scripture always used to calm her down. Until recently, that is. Since her father's death several weeks ago, she had quoted it almost constantly, but she was still afraid. Mortally afraid. And so lonely that sometimes she thought she might even die herself.

For just a moment this morning, she had been thrilled to see the cowboy riding toward her camp. He was the first person she had seen in such a very long time, and his presence proved that she must be getting close to civilization after all of her wanderings.

He had been nice, too, concerned about her being alone out in the middle of nowhere. She had known better than to confess to being alone, of course, but her lies about her father being out hunting hadn't fooled him.

"Look, miss," he had said, "it isn't safe for you to be out here all by yourself. The Rocking L Ranch is just over there a ways. Why don't you let me take you there? Mr. Logan-he's the boss-he'll see that you get to town or wherever you want to go."

Felicity had been tempted, very tempted. The chance to see other people, the chance to get to a town, was compelling, but she knew better than to go off with a stranger, especially a man. Her father had warned her about men. Even the ones who acted nice were only after one thing. She could not trust this boy, no matter how young and harmless-looking he was. "I'm not going anywhere with you. Now you go on and git. I've got a gun in the wagon and I know how to use it," she had lied.

He had argued with her, reminding her of the wolves and the other wild creatures that posed a threat to her safety-a threat of which she was only too aware already-but he had not been able to convince her. At last he had ridden away, promising to return with his Mr. Logan.

Felicity slumped down into the sagging canvas chair, the only furnishing in the camp, and closed her eyes against the fatigue of too many sleepless nights. Mr. Logan. The name had haunted her since the first time the boy had spoken it. What would she do when this Mr. Logan came? And what if Mr. Logan was the one? What if he was the man who had been chasing them? How would she get away and…

Felicity shook herself, forcing her weary eyes open. She must be going crazy to be thinking such thoughts! No one was chasing them. Her father had told her that over and over again. She had only imagined they were fleeing from some invisible danger. He had explained that they had to keep moving to get work, so they could never stay in one place very long. And if sometimes they left a town very suddenly, without even finishing all their business, it was only because her father hated towns and sometimes he just had to get away onto the open prairie.

Felicity supposed that losing her father had spooked her, making her imagination run wild. Without his constant reassurance, she had been almost overwhelmed by the sensation of being followed. She had kept moving restlessly, hoping to escape whoever or whatever was behind her almost as much as she hoped to find a destination.

No, she told herself, this Mr. Logan could not be the man who was following her, because there was nobody following her. And she was a grown woman, eighteen years old, no longer a little girl to be frightened by shadows. She did not fear Mr. Logan for that reason. Mr. Logan presented an entirely new and different threat, a threat with which she must deal right now, she suddenly realized. Three riders had just appeared on the horizon. Felicity raced for the rifle.

The three men reined in their horses at the top of the rise overlooking the small camp. "I'll be damned," Grady grunted. "I told you," Cody declared. "A photographer," Josh muttered. "A what?" Cody was unfamiliar with the word. Josh pointed at the gaily painted wagon. "It's a traveling photographer, a fellow who goes from town to town and takes pictures of people."

"Oh, like that picture of you back at the house," Cody remembered.

Josh nodded, recalling how he had once, on a trip to the "big city," succumbed to the temptation to have his portrait made.

The three men studied the scene below in silence. They could clearly see the girl who was watching them right back. She was standing and she was holding a rifle. They saw no one else.

"Where's her horses?" Grady asked after a few moments. "When I was here before, I just figured they was picketed off somewheres, but they ain't, are they?" Cody asked.

Suddenly they all understood the reason the girl was here, still here. She had lost her horses somehow.

"Let's go on down," Josh suggested, "but take it nice and easy. She's got a gun and we don't want to spook her."

Felicity took a deep breath in a futile attempt to still the clamoring of her heart. Now there were three of them, and if one man was dangerous, then three were… well, three times as dangerous. Felicity still had no idea if the rifle was even loaded, but she raised it in what she hoped was a threatening gesture. She only prayed she would be able to hold it up. The thing was monstrously heavy and her arms were already starting to tremble.

"Stay right there," she called in a quivery voice when they were within easy speaking distance.

The man in the middle stopped the others with a lift of his hand. She knew instinctively that this was Mr. Logan, the man the cowboy had called "the boss." She recognized the cowboy who had been here before, of course, and she mentally dismissed the third man. Although he also had an air of authority about him, she could tell by the way his lanky body draped over the horse that he was not too worried about the present situation. He was merely here to follow orders. Mr. Logan was the man in charge.

Felicity brought her attention back to the man in the middle, the one she knew was Mr. Logan. He had a handsome face, square-jawed and strong-looking, with a straight nose and a well-formed mouth that was set now in a grim line. His eyes were narrowed down, crinkling the corners into a web of laugh lines under heavy, masculine brows. He was studying her, and she forced herself to meet his gaze, in spite of the fact that her whole body seemed to be quaking in terror.

"Afternoon, miss," he said, tipping his hat and revealing a shock of silver hair that glistened in the noonday sun.

Felicity blinked at the sight of that white hair. He was older, older than she had first thought. Perhaps he was also kind. Kind and old, a mature man in whom she could place her trust. Oh, please, God, she prayed silently.

"I'm Josh Logan," he was saying. "Did you know that you're camped on my property?"

Something in his voice when he said "my property" sent a shiver of unease over Felicity. "Oh, no, I didn't… I mean…" Felicity stammered, suddenly realizing that he might very well have her arrested for trespassing. "I didn't know where I was. I got lost," she explained lamely. The rifle was so heavy. She shifted it slightly.

Josh watched the girl. She was scared out of her wits, shaking so bad, he wondered that she had not dropped the rifle. She was a pretty little thing, with a head full of golden hair and eyes as blue as cornflowers. And so young. He judged her to be about fourteen or fifteen, as slender as a reed, with only the tiny teacup breasts barely visible beneath her ragged dress to hint at her burgeoning womanhood. How on earth had she gotten out here all alone in this wagon? In an attempt to put her at ease, he forced himself to smile reassuringly.

Felicity watched, mesmerized, as the smile lit up his face. She barely noticed when he swung a leg over the saddle and slid down from the horse.

"Don't be afraid," he said, speaking softly so as not to frighten her further. "We're here to help you. If you'll just tell me where your horses are, we'll hitch them up for you so you can be on your way."

He really was a nice man. She could tell now that he was closer. His eyes were kind. She lowered the rifle a bit.

"My horses are lost," she told him.

"Lost?" he repeated. The smile disappeared and Felicity knew a small regret.

"They bolted the other night during the thunderstorm," she confided, shuddering involuntarily at the memory of that fearsome storm.

"That was night before last," she heard one of the other men remark, but she did not bother to look to see which one. She could not seem to take her eyes from Mr. Logan's face. He was very close now. He smiled again.

"Where's the rest of your family, honey?" he asked. His voice was soothing, like a warm hand on her heart, but when she thought of the answer to his question, tears sprang to her eyes.

No, she would not think of that, she told herself. Mr.

Logan would help her. Desperately she tried to focus on his face, but something was wrong, horribly wrong. Her heart felt funny, as if it were pounding against her ribs, and she was shaking all over. There were spots, too, black spots everywhere. The rifle slipped from her hands but she could not stop it. "Help me," she cried, or thought she did, before everything went black.

Josh rushed forward, catching her just as she fell. "Damn," he swore under his breath as he scooped the frail body into his arms. The other two men were at his side in an instant.

"What happened?" Grady asked anxiously.

"She fainted; what did it look like?" Josh replied sarcastically, casting about for someplace to lay her down. Finding no place suitable, he seated himself on the rickety canvas chair and draped her across his lap, taking the gamble that the chair would hold them both. He looked down into the lovely little face that had gone chalk-white and tried desperately to remember what you were supposed to do when a woman fainted. He had never encountered such a situation before.

After a moment of silence, Grady ventured to suggest, "When a woman faints, you're supposed to loosen her stays."

"She's not wearing any," Josh informed his friend. He had already thought of that, but the suppleness of the body he held had convinced him he would be wasting his time.

"Rub her wrists, then," Grady suggested.

Josh did so, marveling at the graceful, delicate bone structure of her hands. After a moment, she moaned softly. Josh glanced swiftly around the camp. "Cody, is there any coffee in that pot? Pour me out some if there is," he ordered, pointing toward where a battered, smoke-blackened pot sat near the campfire.

In a minute Cody handed him a half-filled cup. "That ain't real coffee, boss," he cautioned.

"What is it?" Josh demanded, sniffing the contents of the cup himself.

"Mesquite beans," Cody replied, naming the wild fruit of the Mesquite plant which was often substituted for coffee when the real thing was unavailable.

Josh grunted his disapproval and glanced around the camp again, searching for any signs that a meal had recently been prepared here. He saw none. If the girl was making coffee from Mesquite beans, she might also be low on food. If she had skipped a meal or two, that would explain why she had passed out. "See if you can find anything in the wagon and rustle up a meal. This poor kid looks like she hasn't eaten in a week."

Cody disappeared into the back of the wagon, and Josh held the cup to the girl's lips. Instinctively, she drank a few sips and then turned her head away.

"Miss? Wake up, honey, and tell me your name," Josh coaxed. Long, golden eyelashes fluttered up, revealing huge azure eyes that glittered suspiciously. "That's better," he said, rewarding her with a smile. "Now, tell me what your name is."

"Lissy," she whispered.

"Lissy? What's that short for?" he insisted, shaking her slightly when her eyelids began to droop again.

"Mr. Grady? Will you come in here a minute?" Cody called from inside the wagon. Josh noted vaguely that Grady left, but he did not dare take his eyes off the girl.

"Felicity," Felicity told him, forming the word with difficulty. She was so very tired. She just wanted to sleep. It had been a long time since she had slept, really slept; a long time since she had felt safe enough to sleep. Mr. Logan made her feel safe. He was strong and he smelled good, too, the way her father had smelled. She forgot that she had been afraid of him. She just wanted to curl up on his shoulder and go to sleep.

He wouldn't let her, though. He shook her again. "Now tell me what happened to your family, Felicity," he ordered. Felicity responded instinctively to the authority in his tone, even though she did not want to answer his question.

"Papa died," she said, her eyes welling up. She blinked furiously, unwilling to surrender to the urge to cry, not now.

"When did he die, and how?" Josh insisted. Felicity swallowed loudly. She didn't want to talk about it, but she understood on some unconscious level that Mr. Logan needed to know what had happened and that he would not leave her alone until he did. "A few weeks ago, in his sleep, I woke up one morning and he was dead, just like that," she said, her voice breaking slightly. "I think it was his heart. Sometimes he'd hold his chest, you know, when he thought I wasn't looking." Mr. Logan nodded encouragement. "I buried him, but I didn't know where we were. I tried to find a town, but I was lost." A crystal tear slipped down her cheek, and Josh brushed it away with uncharacteristic tenderness.

"That's all right. You don't have to tell me any more." Josh didn't want to hear it. He could picture only too clearly how difficult it would have been for this frail child to dig a grave in the unforgiving ground and then to place her father's body into it. And he didn't need to hear the rest of her story. Obviously she had been riding around for days, probably in a circle, looking for help, until the other night when she had lost her horses.

"Boss?" Josh looked up to find Grady and Cody standing nearby. They both looked grim. "There isn't a speck of food in this whole camp. When you said she hadn't eaten in a week, you might've been right," Grady informed him.

Josh swore again and, taking a more secure grip on the girl, awkwardly rose from the chair. "Let's get out of here," he said, carrying her toward the horses.

"Where are we taking her?" Grady asked.

"To Blanche's," Josh said, deciding in an instant that Blanche Delano's ranch would be the most proper place for a young girl to stay.

"Uh, Mr. Logan, we can't take her to Mrs. Delano's," Cody said. "I ran into one of her men yesterday, and he said she'll be in Dallas for at least another week."

Josh swore again, but before he could think of an alternative, Grady said. "We'd better get somewhere quick. Did you get a look at that sky?"

Josh looked. Only moments ago the day had been perfect, sunny and clear, but now black clouds loomed on the horizon. The haze beneath them signified rain, and rain in the distant mountains meant untoward dangers to those on the plains. They had to get the girl and themselves to shelter.

"We'll take her back to the ranch, then," Josh compromised, and headed for the horses. "Candace can look after her for the time being."

Felicity lay against Mr. Logan's chest and listened to this exchange very carefully. She had to be careful or else her eyes would slide shut and she would miss a word or two and lose track of the conversation. They were taking her to Mr. Logan's ranch, and Candace would take care of her. Felicity liked the name Candace. Candace was the queen of Ethiopia, or at least she had been, back in Bible times. Felicity knew she would like Mr. Logan's wife.

"I'll take her, boss," Cody offered eagerly, heading for his own mount. "Just hand her up to me."

"No," Josh said, for some reason unwilling to trust the girl to anyone's care but his own. "I'll take her. You hold her a minute while I mount up." Reluctantly, he passed the limp little body over to Cody, noting with some satisfaction the startled way she looked at the boy before her big blue eyes searched his own out again.

With equal reluctance, Cody passed the girl up to Josh, who settled her across his lap for the long ride back to the ranch. "Are you comfortable?" he asked her.

"Mmmmm," she replied, snuggling down into his arms and inhaling deeply of his man-smell. In her semiconscious state, she almost imagined that her father was holding her, making everything better. She was hungry, of course, but she'd been hungry for so long she hardly noticed it anymore, so that didn't count. What did count was that she could close her eyes and not have to worry about something bad happening to her while she slept. This man would take care of her.

"Felicity?" he said, coaxing her from the beckoning oblivion.

Her eyes flew open, and for an instant he was so startled by how very blue they were that he forgot what he was going to ask her. "How long has it been since you've eaten?" he finally remembered.

Her sweet face puckered with the strain of concentration. "I caught a rabbit two days ago," she remembered, "and I gathered some wild things."

Josh frowned. A rabbit wasn't much nourishment to last for two days, even for a girl as small as this. She needed a good square meal and fast. He nudged his horse into a trot. The other men followed closely behind.

The rocking of the horse lulled Felicity, and she closed her eyes again, settling herself against Mr. Logan's shoulder. Inhaling, she smelled the mingled scents of his cowhide vest and tobacco and his own musky fragrance. She felt like a little girl again, curled up in her father's lap, long before all the bad things had happened, long before her mother had died and she and her father had taken to the road, and long, long before she had found her father's cold, lifeless body. She slept.

Josh squinted into the distance, studying the progress of the storm. He could hear the rumble of thunder in the distance and knew the rain would reach them before they reached the ranch. Instinctively, he urged his horse faster, but not because he was afraid of getting wet. They had to get to higher ground before the tons of water washing down the far mountains swept onto the prairie in a giant wall and devoured them.

Still, he felt no fear but only a curious sense of excitement, even though he understood perfectly the danger they were in. Savage and merciless though it was, this was his land, as much a part of him as his own flesh and bones. He owned the ground they rode upon, legally and outright, but he also knew that whatever the government papers might say, in reality the land owned him. The Indians had accepted that fact, never comprehending the white man's idea of property, and Josh accepted it, also.

As the endless canopy of sky turned slowly gray above him and thunder echoed from afar, Josh recalled what his father had told him time and again. "Never put your trust in other people," he had warned. "They come and they go, but the land is always here. You can love the land, son. It will never betray you."

Josh and his father knew well the pain of betrayal, the pain that loving a person could cause. They never spoke of it, but it was always there, hovering and haunting, coloring every aspect of their lives. And when Josh had buried his father, bequeathing him finally to the earth he loved, Josh had found himself completely alone except for his land. But that had been enough, then.

Lightning streaked across the horizon, and Josh tightened his grip on the girl in anticipation of the noise that would awaken her. He knew a sudden pity for this little Felicity, this rootless wanderer whose only remaining bond with the earth was a wagon which might not even survive the fury of the coming storm. She was as alone as he. For the first time he felt the burden of that loneliness as he cradled her protectively.

The crash of thunder jarred her awake, and for one horrible moment Felicity thought she was once again alone on the plains with that horrible storm breaking over her. But only for a moment. Strong arms tightened around her in silent comfort, and she became fully aware of her surroundings. A storm was breaking, all right, but Mr. Logan would protect her.

Shifting a little from her half-reclining position in his arms, she looked around. The clear blue sky was now gray and overcast, and a chill wind cut through the worn fabric of her dress. She had seen many of these storms in her life and knew the havoc they could wreak. She turned her gaze to the face of the man who held her. His grim expression chilled her more thoroughly than the cool breeze.

"How far are we from your ranch?" she asked.

"Too far," he replied, telling her that they would not make shelter before the storm hit. What he did not say, and hoped she would not notice, was that they were crossing a large gully. The ground beneath them was bone dry, but at any moment a flash flood could turn the gully into a raging river capable of carrying them and their horses to oblivion. But they had no other choice than to cross the gully, since to avoid it meant adding several hours to the trip. If only they could make it before… "Hold on!" Josh yelled, leaning forward to provide her body greater protection as he spurred his huge Appaloosa into a gallop.

Felicity clung for dear life. At first she only feared falling from the running animal, but then she heard the distant roar and understood with terrifying clarity the reason for the mad run. Flash flood!

Jarring, bouncing, clutching, and praying, Felicity caught a glimpse of the water, the enormous gray mass a hundred feet high, churning and foaming and charging relentlessly toward them. Closing her eyes against the horrible sight, she realized the Appaloosa was straining. They were running uphill. Uphill, away from the water-to safety! Her prayers changed, thanks mingling with entreaties for the other two men whom she could no longer see.

Josh was cursing his own stupidity. Why had he not allowed Cody to take the girl? The two of them together would not weigh much more than Josh alone, and Cody's mount could have easily carried them both at a dead run. He had stubbornly insisted on taking her himself, and now his horse was laboring under the double load. Would they make it? Would his stubbornness cost the girl's life as well as his own?

Expecting to see Cody and Grady race by him at any moment, Josh guided his mount up the ever-steepening incline to the plateau above that beckoned mockingly. The Appaloosa was straining but he wasn't winded. Thank God he had thought to ride the big animal this afternoon. A smaller pony would have faltered long since. A few more feet, only a few more. Josh risked one last glance at the water. Still plenty of time if they didn't slip. And then they were free.

The Appaloosa reared when Josh jerked him to a halt and turned him around to check the progress of his two friends. Just as the horse's front hooves hit the ground again, an agonized animal scream pierced the now constant thunder of the approaching flood.

The scream came again and again, and Felicity stared in horror at the horse that lay thrashing halfway up the hill, its foreleg snapped and shredded into a gory mass. The boy, the boy who had found her, had struggled free and was scrambling up the hill, but he would never make it ahead of the water. Even she could see that. He would disappear beneath the liquid avalanche as if he had never even existed.

Josh took in the scene in an instant. From the corner of his eye, he saw Grady's horse clawing its way over the top. Grady had not yet seen, and by the time Josh could call to him and get him to turn…

"Stay here!" he commanded, thrusting the girl to the ground. Without even making a conscious decision to do so, he spurred his horse back down the hill.

Somehow Felicity found her feet, barely conscious of the huge raindrops that had suddenly started to assault her. Some distant part of her brain registered the fact that the third man had reached the safety of the plateau and was calling something to the others, but she could not make out his words. She could only watch the tableau before her, the wall of water roaring toward them, the magnificent gray horse with his equally magnificent rider racing back down the hill to certain destruction, the boy lifting his arm with a shout, the man grasping it and pulling him up to the saddle even as he turned the gelding and began again the long climb to safety.

But this time rain was sluicing down the hill, turning it into a quagmire. The Appaloosa faltered once, and then again. "No!" she screamed, but the wind tore the sound from her, and even she could not hear it above the deafening rush of the water. Closer, ever closer, the flood roared onward, and again the horse slipped.

Felicity raced to the edge of the plateau as if she might somehow draw them up by force of will. Seconds, they only had seconds left before the water crushed them. Someone grabbed her arm. "Stay back!" he yelled, shoving her away from the edge. The other man was reaching, grabbing the horse's halter as it came, pulling for all he was worth.

She ran, her wet skirts dragging at her legs, and she grabbed, too, catching a handful of leather and throwing her whole body backward toward safety. For one awful second, the animal would not budge as his hooves gouged into the mire, and a blast of spray pelted them, the harbinger of disaster. "Oh, please!" she cried, tears mingling with raindrops.

And then the flood came, smashing, surging, swirling, its dark tentacles reaching out for victims. At the very last instant, the Appaloosa caught his footing and charged over the crest of the hill. Flung aside like a rag doll, Felicity slammed to the ground as the horse frantically raced by.

After what seemed only seconds, Felicity was surrounded. Three men knelt beside her. Gentle hands lifted her. Concerned faces looked into hers. "Are you all right?" Mr. Logan asked her.

Felicity felt a hysterical urge to laugh. He, who had just moments ago almost been swept away by a maelstrom, was asking if she was all right. Blinking away the water that was now running in rivulets down her face, she managed a small smile. She would be black and blue tomorrow, but what did that matter? "I'm a little wet," she admitted.

The three men stared at her in stunned silence for several seconds, the rain pouring unheeded over them. They were not quite able to believe their ears. Death had sent its hoary hounds snapping at their heels, they had escaped by a hair's breadth, and she was making jokes.

"I'll be damned," Josh murmured, sinking back on his heels.

"Me, too," Grady agreed, plopping down onto the muddy grass.

The two men exchanged a glance, and Josh felt his lips twitching. Grady gave him back a puzzled grin, and the next thing either of them knew, they were laughing uproariously as they experienced the almost overwhelming sense of relief that they had survived the disaster.

Felicity watched them, smiling in response to her own sense of relief, but when she turned to the boy Cody, she saw that he had not joined in the merriment.

Cody was just staring off into space. And then she noticed something else. "You're bleeding!"

Cody raised an unsteady hand to his forehead, where the girl was pointing, and touched the small cut. "It's nothing," he said, but his voice sounded unnaturally calm, and Felicity suspected that the shock was settling in on him.

"You'd better lie down flat," she advised, gently easing him back onto the oozing ground. None of them could have been any wetter or muddier, so it did not matter that she had no blanket to put under him.

Josh watched her minister to Cody with fascination, and for the first time he took a good, hard look at her. The golden hair was now plastered to her head, but that only served to accentuate the fine structure of her face-a face already smoothed into maturity-and the depth of her huge blue eyes. The rain had turned her dress into a sodden rag that could no longer conceal the woman's body underneath. Josh shook his head and looked again. No, he wasn't dreaming. How could he have made such a mistake?

"You'll be fine," she was crooning to Cody. "Just rest a minute." Then she turned back to Josh. "Do you have a handkerchief or something I can use on this cut?"

Josh didn't even hear her question. "How old are you?" he asked, his voice gruffer than he would have liked.

Felicity stared at him in surprise. What did that have to do with anything? "I'm eighteen." He stared right back as if he did not believe her, and this rankled. She should have been used to having people doubt her true age since it happened often enough, but for some reason, she didn't like the idea of Mr. Logan's thinking she was a child. "I'm almost nineteen," she added defensively. When he still did not respond, she sighed in defeat and returned to her original question. "Do you have a handkerchief?"

He fumbled in his vest pocket for a bandana, which he handed to her. She took it without so much as brushing his fingers with her own.

Dear Lord, she wasn't a young girl. She was a woman. Josh Logan was taking a woman to his ranch. Just wait until folks got wind of that. He'd never hear the end of it. And just wait until Candace saw what he was bringing her. At least Blanche was out of town. Maybe he could get rid of the girl before the Widow Delano got home. Yes, he'd have to get rid of her as soon as possible, for everyone's sake.

"We'd better get going," he said, rising to his feet. He was eager to get started. The sooner he got the girl to his ranch, the sooner he could get her off it.

The others stared at him in surprise for a moment but quickly recognized the wisdom of getting on with their journey. The open prairie provided no shelter, and the storm showed no signs of abating anytime soon.

Josh and Grady helped Cody to his feet. "I sure do thank you, Mr. Logan," Cody was saying. "I never would have made it____________________"

"I couldn't let one of my best hands get away, now could I?" Josh said with a smile that quickly stopped the flood of gratitude that threatened. "You'll have to ride with Grady. We'll take it slow. Come on, now." He led Cody over to Grady's horse and began to untie the slicker from behind the saddle.

"I'll do that," Grady offered. "You'd better see to your own passenger."

Josh gave Grady a wary glance, just enough to make certain that Grady had also noticed the curves the wet dress had revealed.

"Of course, if you want to ride with Cody…" Grady ventured, a wicked gleam in his eyes.

Josh pretended not to hear. Swiftly, he moved to his own horse, which was standing with its head bowed against the storm. "Come on, boy, we've got a lot of riding left to do today." With practiced hands, he removed the slicker from his own saddle. "Here, put this on," he told the girl, hardly daring to look at her lest he be caught staring.

Felicity tried to reach for the slicker, but her hands just did not want to cooperate. She was shaking again, just as she had shaken when she had been afraid of Mr. Logan. Except she was no longer afraid, or at least she didn't think she was. For some reason, she could not keep herself from watching the raging river that flowed below them, carrying with it the broken refuse of whatever got in its way. Branches and stones and drowned animals and even whole trees swept by. The rain beat down on her and the wind whipped around her, chilling her to the bone. She shivered uncontrollably, and her trembling hands dropped the slicker.

Josh swore under his breath as he stooped to pick it up and hand it back to her. Only then did he notice the way her teeth were chattering beneath her bluish lips. Christ, why hadn't he realized it before? For a minute there, when she had helped haul his horse over the crest of the hill like some tiny Amazon and then maternally wiped the blood from Cody's face and forced him to lie flat so he would not faint, Josh had forgotten her true condition. During the emergency, she had responded on pure nerve, but half-starved and exhausted, she now had no reserves of strength left on which to call.

He shook the grass from the slicker and slipped it quickly over her head, not bothering to put her arms into the sleeves, and buttoned it to her throat. Not that it would do much good since she was already soaked, he noted cynically. Without another word, he lifted her to the saddle and climbed up behind her, drawing her trembling body against his.

She was shaking in earnest now, bone-rattling shudders that frightened him. He knew that people could die from a chill like this, even when the weather was fairly mild, and the oilcloth slicker would do little to hold in her body heat. Had she been a man, or even the child he had originally taken her for, he would not have hesitated over doing what must be done to save her life. As it was, he only hesitated a moment. Reaching around her, he unbuttoned the slicker and then lifted the thing over his own head, too, so that he joined her in its billowing folds. Turning her slight body until she rested across his lap as she had before, he settled her comfortably and then nudged the Appaloosa into motion.

Felicity knew she should not be snuggled up to Mr. Logan so intimately, especially under the cover of the oilcloth. Even though he was an older man, propriety prohibited such things. Of course, survival dictated something else entirely, and drawn by his warmth, Felicity tightened her grip on him. Even in her distress, she noticed the hardness of his chest, the strength of the muscles under her hands, and his pleasant, masculine scent. Proper or not, she savored the security of his arms. After what seemed a long time, her shivering slowed and then, finally, ceased. Once again she fell into an exhausted sleep.

From time to time, Josh looked down at his passenger. She was sound asleep, sleep she sorely needed, judging from the purple smudges beneath her eyes. She murmured something and shifted slightly, and he knew she must be dreaming. Telling himself that he was only trying to comfort her, he cradled her more closely, and tried not to notice how good her body felt pressed up against his.

Josh drew a shaky breath and struggled to concentrate on something else. He'd been without a woman for too long, that's all it was, he decided. Why else would he be having such lustful thoughts over this poor, helpless creature? He hadn't had any trouble at all before the flood, when he'd thought she was a child. She was still the same person with the same body. He should be able to hold her just as dispassionately as before.

But he couldn't, he admitted reluctantly. It had just been too long. He guessed he was a fool not to take what the buxom Mrs. Delano offered. Any other man in his position would have, and gladly, too. Of course, Josh knew that there was a price attached to Blanche Delano's favors, and that price included marriage. Josh Logan simply did not want to get married.

Or at least he never had before. For some reason the idea suddenly did not seem quite so distasteful. He was, as he had admitted a little while ago, alone in the world, as alone as the girl he held in his arms. He recalled the protective, almost fatherly, feeling he had experienced earlier when he thought her a child. He had enjoyed that feeling and could not help wondering how it would be to hold his own child.

Memories of him and his father enjoying moments of companionship teased at him. Along with them came the security of knowing his father had cared for him enough to preserve the land he loved, the land that was his heritage. But whose heritage was it now? If Josh had no children, what would become of this ranch when he was gone? The question disturbed him.

Of course, to have children meant having a wife, something Josh had studiously avoided all his adult life. Maybe, just maybe, he had been wrong to do so. Maybe he should now consider marriage. He wasn't getting any younger. If he wanted to see his own son grown and settled, he would have to get started soon.

Unfortunately, the only available woman around who didn't completely repulse him was Blanche Delano. A man could do worse-a whole lot worse-but Blanche Delano was simply not the woman he wanted. How odd, Josh thought. He knew exactly what he did not want but did not have a clue as to what he did want in a woman. He supposed he would have to give the matter some more serious consideration.

Meanwhile, he thought, shifting the girl he held to a slightly less intimate position, he should make a trip to San Antone and ease himself at one of the bawdy houses there before he found himself tempted beyond endurance.

The girl in his arms stirred again, shifting her small breasts against his chest, and Josh inhaled the fresh, clean scent of her rain-washed body. San Antonio suddenly seemed very far away.

The trip that had taken two hours going out took almost three coming back, but at last the ranch buildings materialized out of the murky dimness that surrounded them. The full fury of the storm had blown itself out, and the rain had settled into a steady downpour. Grady and Cody were also sharing a slicker, but no one was more grateful to reach the ranch than Josh.

"We're here," he said, shaking the girl a little to rouse her. He did not relinquish his hold on her as he threw one leg over the saddle to slide down to the ground.

The movement jarred her awake. Momentarily disoriented, Felicity glanced around, getting a vague impression of ranch buildings and a large, substantial-looking house before her gaze came to rest on Mr. Logan's face. All her old fears came surging back. This man was taking her to his house. What would he do to her? Was he the one who had been following her? Her sleep-fogged brain stumbled over the questions, but before she could find any answers, Mr. Logan's shout startled her.

"Candace! Come see what we've brought you!" he called loudly enough to be heard above the downpour.

Candace. Of course. Felicity had forgotten that Mr. Logan's wife would take care of her. Her fears began to ebb again.

"Land sakes! What have you got there?" a woman's voice demanded, and Felicity looked up at the strangest person she had ever beheld.

Candace was glaring down at the three men mounting the porch steps. Glaring down came easily for her since she stood almost six feet tall. Her high-breasted body was slender and regal and her beautiful ebony face unlined, even though gray now threaded her glossy black curls. Clearly, her African forebearers had been a noble race, and her direct ancestors must surely have been chieftains. The queen of Ethiopia, Felicity thought wildly. "It's the girl I told you about," Cody was saying, his voice cracking with excitement. "Nobody believed me, but now they will," he added triumphantly.

"What are you doing, bringing a girl here, Joshua Logan?" Candace asked angrily. "You should take her to Miz Delano. That's the proper place."

"Blanche is in Dallas for at least another week," Josh explained testily, "and in case you hadn't noticed, it's raining." He really did not need a lesson in etiquette from his former mammy, especially when he was wet and cold and tired. He knew only too well that a Negro servant could not properly chaperone a white girl. Although no one who knew Candace would ever classify her as a servant, the fact remained that she fit no other description.

Sensing his irritation, Candace softened immediately. "Well, if Miz Delano is out of town," she mumbled as Josh approached carrying the girl. "Let's see what you've got there." She pulled back the edge of the slicker to get a better look at Felicity.

Felicity stared at the black woman in astonishment. She had met many Negroes in her life, but she had never heard one chastise a white person. The formidable Candace reached out a work-worn hand to brush the dripping hair back from Felicity's forehead and test for fever. Too proud to flinch, Felicity met her concerned gaze steadily.

"Poor little thing, she's half-drowned!" Candace exclaimed. "Get her inside. We'll put her in the yellow room."

Candace started issuing rapid-fire orders, and before Felicity could even think, the ranch cook had been commissioned to prepare her something to eat, and Grady and Cody were sent off to haul hot water for her bath.

As Mr. Logan carried her into the house, Candace whipped the dripping slicker off over their heads and disposed of it. For one awful moment, Felicity almost cried out a protest, feeling suddenly exposed, but she managed to bite back her words just in time. She was being completely ridiculous. She was fully clothed beneath the covering of the slicker. How silly to have such an odd sensation.

But once inside the shelter of the house, with the storm only a gentle patter against the tile roof and the thick adobe walls, she realized what had caused the uncomfortable sensation. Mr. Logan was still carrying her, still holding her tightly against his chest, and she still clung to him as if her life depended on it. Without the danger that made such behavior necessary, Felicity became acutely aware of how intimate, how unseemly, was her position. White hair or not, Mr. Logan was a man, and she was a woman. Felicity blushed hotly, especially when she realized that she had no desire to be put down.

Mr. Logan carried her across the front room, an enormous place with beamed ceiling and a stone fireplace and comfortable leather-upholstered furnishings, and on through a door which opened into a smaller room. Felicity's eyes widened as she glanced around the prettiest bedroom she had ever seen. The whole place was done in yellow- yellow walls, a yellow rug, and a quilt pieced in shades of gold covering the bed. Yellow curtains hung at the window, hiding the drops that still beat mercilessly against the glass outside.

"Put her in the rocker," Candace commanded, and Mr. Logan took Felicity to the corner where a small rocking chair sat. Very carefully, he leaned over and placed her on the chair. She hazarded one glance at his face as he straightened from the task, and for just a second she imagined that she saw her own regret at being separated from him reflected in his gray eyes.

Robbed of the warmth of Mr. Logan's body, Felicity began to shiver again, but Candace immediately noted her discomfort and produced a woolen blanket to cover her. "As soon as the men have brought the water, we'll get you out of those wet things," Candace whispered, tucking the blanket around her.

Felicity watched in amazement as the tall black woman managed to make up the large feather bed that dominated the room, build a fire in the small corner stove, and gather towels and other bathing paraphernalia in the time it took Grady and Cody to haul enough water to fill the hip bath Mr. Logan carried in.

"You all should get a hot bath, too," Felicity ventured when they had finished their task and were standing around at a momentary loss. Only then did they seem to take notice of their own bedraggled condition.

"Yeah, I reckon we should," Mr. Logan allowed with a self-mocking grin. "If Candace doesn't have anything else for us to do…" He gave the woman an ironic look of inquiry.

"Scat, all of you, before this poor child catches pneumonia," she said, shooing them away with her apron.

They were almost out the door before Josh thought to correct his previous omission. "Oh, by the way, Felicity, this is Candace," he said, sticking his head back in the door that Candace was trying to close behind him. "She's twice as mean as she looks, but don't let her bully you," he advised with a wink.

Felicity smiled as the door slammed behind him. Candace whirled, catching the look of merriment on her small face. "What's so funny?" Candace asked indignantly.

Knowing she was being forward, Felicity still could not stop her words. "I was just thinking, you really do look like the queen of Ethiopia."

Candace's black eyes grew wide with surprise and then narrowed in speculation as she took inventory of the girl for the first time. She was a puny little thing, but she had good bone structure. With the proper hairstyle and clothes, she could be quite lovely. And she had a brain. Few people even knew that Candace was a biblical name. Not even those who were very familiar with the New Testament story of Phillip and the Ethiopian eunuch recalled that the eunuch was employed by a queen named Candace.

"Well, now, let's get you into that bath," Candace decided after a long moment of speculation. She threw off the blanket covering Felicity and began to unfasten the buttons of her dress.

"Oh, please, I can do that myself," Felicity protested, blushing scarlet at the knowledge that the woman intended to undress her.

Candace raised her eyebrows. "Right now you need all the help you can get," she informed the girl. "Besides, I was helping ladies get undressed before you were even a gleam in your papa's eye. I'd think you'd want to get shed of that dress, anyways. It's nothing to brag about. I got dishrags in better shape than that." She watched with great interest as the girl's blue eyes kindled with wounded pride and her sweet little mouth thinned in an effort to hold back a sharp retort.

Good. She was proud, and she had manners, too. She wouldn't even reprimand a colored woman. And she was pretty and knew the Scriptures. "Can you cook?" Candace inquired, gently pulling Felicity to her feet so she could slip the tattered dress down her body.

"Cook?" Felicity echoed, completely puzzled. "Yes, I can cook," she replied faintly. The woman had removed her dress and was stripping the sodden undergarments from her, but Felicity was powerless to stop her. Before she even had time to feel humiliated at standing nude before a total stranger, Candace had her in the tub and was lathering her hair with soap that smelled like wildflowers. The warm water felt so wonderful against her shriveled flesh that Felicity surrendered to the comfort at last, giving herself up completely to Candace's ministrations.

Candace kept up a steady stream of conversation while she worked. "Back in Georgia, at the Fair Oaks plantation, where I was born, Miss Sarah-that's Mr. Josh's grandmother-she always called all the slaves together of a Sunday evening for Scripture reading. My mama loved that story about Phillip and the eunuch best, and when I was born, she named me after the queen. Not many people know that." Candace waited, and the girl murmured some sort of agreement. "Miss Sarah, she was a beauty. Even Miss Amelia, that's Mr. Josh's mama-couldn't hold a candle to her."

Even in her groggy state, Felicity had no trouble following the story. Candace went on to tell her how Mr. Logan's father had married Miss Amelia and_ brought her and Candace to his ranch. They had fought Indians in the early days, and Yankees and carpetbaggers later on. Things had finally started to settle down when old Mr. Logan had passed on. Felicity got the distinct impression that Candace had admired Mr. Logan's father a great deal, but she suddenly realized that Amelia Logan, Mr. Logan's mother, had not figured in the story Candace was telling at all.

"Is Mrs. Logan dead, too?" she asked.

Candace did not answer right away, causing Felicity to look up to see her face. She appeared to be considering. After a moment she said, "Well, now, it's been more'n twenty years. She might very well be, at that."

Before Felicity had time to wonder at such a peculiar remark, Candace was drawing her out of the bath. "Come on now, before that water gets cold. We don't want you catching another chill."

"Really, I can dry myself," Felicity insisted, but the bath had steeped her muscles until what little strength she had was gone, and she could not even wrestle the towel away from Candace's capable hands.

"What on earth happened to you, girl?" Candace asked, pausing in her task of drying Felicity's back. "Looks like somebody's been after you with a stick."

Felicity closed her eyes, imagining the marks that Candace was seeing, marks that would be bruises by morning. "I… Mr. Logan's horse knocked me over and-"

"Knocked you over!" Candace repeated indignantly.

"It was an accident," Felicity quickly explained. "During the flood-"

"The flood!" Candace wrapped the girl securely in several towels and set her back down in the rocking chair. "Now, what's this about a flood?"

Felicity shivered slightly at the memory. "There was a flash flood. Mr. Logan got me to high ground, but the boy-"

"Cody," Candace supplied.

"Yes, Cody, his horse fell and broke its leg. Mr. Logan went after him, but the hill was wet and his horse was having a hard time…" She shivered again. "The other man grabbed the horse's bridle to pull it up, and I tried to help, too." She smiled sheepishly. "I guess I shouldn't have gotten in the way," Felicity admitted, unwittingly impressing Candace with her modesty.

Candace made no comment but went over to the dresser to fetch a garment for the girl. Smart and pretty and proud and well-mannered and now brave, too. Why, the little thing had helped save Joshua's life, the man she loved as much as her own son. Candace was humming softly when she returned to help Felicity into the shirt.

"This is a man's dress shirt," Felicity noticed, appalled that Candace would use such a fine garment as a nightdress.

"Mr. Josh don't have much use for a dress shirt. You can see this one's hardly ever been worn. Besides, it's about the only thing I could find that might fit you," Candace explained, easily overcoming the girl's objections with her physical superiority. In another minute, she had her tucked up in the bed and had started brushing out her long blond locks.

Felicity started at the discreet knock. "Who could that be?" she asked, unable to hide her alarm at having anyone- anyone male-see her in bed.

"Probably just Cookie with your supper." Candace moved confidently to the door but stood in the breach so that whoever was outside would not be able to catch so much as a glimpse of her guest. When she turned back, she held a tray of food and wore a satisfied smile. "Just like I said."

Candace stood over Felicity, watching every bite the girl took. Cookie had prepared cornmeal mush laced with molasses, a dish of stewed apples, and tea, the soft, easily digested food that Candace had specified.

After a short time, Felicity lay down her spoon in defeat. "I'm sorry. I just can't eat any more. I was so hungry, but now…"

"Don't you worry none," Candace comforted her, whisking the tray away. "That happens when a body ain't had enough food for a while. Tomorrow you'll eat like a field hand, most likely. Right now you need rest more than anything."

Felicity did not object. In fact, before Candace even left the room, she was asleep.

In the warmth of the kitchen, Josh and Grady and Cody were bathing away the effects of the storm. Josh, now dressed in dry clothes, toweled his hair while he toasted his backside in front of the fire. Grady was still dressing, and Cody sat soaking in the tub.

"What did she say her name was?" Cody asked.

"Felicity," Josh told him. "It's a mouthful, isn't it?"

The boy smiled his agreement and tried it out. "Felicity. What else did she tell you? Do you know where she came from?"

Josh told the other men what little he knew about her background.

"It's a damn shame," Grady said when he heard about how her father had died. "What's going to become of her now?"

Josh shrugged, wishing he knew and knowing that it mattered very much to him, in spite of the fact that a few short hours ago he had firmly believed the girl to be a figment of Cody Wells's imagination. He would not soon forget the vision of her rain-soaked body straining to pull his horse over the crest of the hill. A tiny Amazon.

Josh combed out his hair, and then pulled a chair over close to the fire and rolled himself a smoke. After taking a long, satisfying drag, he tried out her name again. "Felicity." It really was a mouthful. "Her name, it means something, doesn't it?" he asked the others.

Cody looked blank, but Grady strained to remember. "I think it means something about happiness," he offered.

"Happiness," Josh echoed. He liked that.

"Wonder what her last name is," Cody said.

In the yellow bedroom, Felicity Storm slept peacefully.

In a town several hundred miles distance from the Rocking L Ranch, a nondescript little man strolled negligently down the street and into the telegraph office. The operator glanced up but, seeing no one of importance, finished transcribing an incoming message before asking the stranger his business.

"Would you send this out for me right away?" the man asked, although nothing in his voice or manner betrayed that the message might be urgent.

The operator rose slowly and walked to the counter where the customer waited. He glanced over the scribbled message with a practiced eye. It was addressed to a Mr. Asa Gordon at an address in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It read: "Found Storm and girl. Lost them. Still looking. Will report."

Ten words. He told the man the price and took his payment. The man waited as he clicked out the letters. The operator had the uneasy feeling that the man was checking to make certain he did so correctly. When the operator was finished, he glanced up to see if the stranger approved.

He did. He nodded once and then turned to go, but he paused at the door. "Say, do you know of a place where I could get my picture made?" he asked.

The operator considered. "Can't say that I do. Hasn't been a photographer around here in more than a year."

The man shrugged resignedly. "Thanks," he said, and then he left, closing the door softly behind him.

Chapter Two

Dawn had barely broken as Josh made his way across the muddy ranch yard. The rain had stopped sometime during the night, and the day promised to be fine. Josh should have been in a good mood this morning, having noted that the storm had done little damage to the ranch buildings and that the rich prairie grasses were already beginning to green up. Spring would be here soon, the time of the year when he felt most alive, most in tune with the land. Yes, he would have taken great pleasure in this sparkling, rain-washed morning except that Candace had run him out of the house the night before, forcing him to sleep in the bunkhouse with the other men. He'd gotten another lecture on propriety which he did not need, and this morning he had awakened to discover he had forgotten to bring clean socks with him.

In a foul humor, he stomped up the ranch house steps. Candace met him at the door, a disapproving scowl marring her majestic features.

"I forgot my socks," Josh said, annoyed that he now must make excuses to enter his own home.

"Wait here. I'll get them for you," Candace said, swiftly disappearing into his bedroom, the room next to the one where the girl slept.

"How's she doing?" he asked when Candace returned and handed him the neatly rolled socks.

"Haven't heard a peep out of her since yesterday afternoon," Candace reported.

Josh frowned. "Shouldn't somebody check on her?"

Candace raised her eyebrows in shocked surprise. "Ain't nobody going into that girl's bedroom 'long as I'm walking around on two feet," she informed him.

Josh considered explaining that he hadn't planned on doing so himself, but decided that arguing with Candace when she was in this mood was a definite waste of time. Still, somebody ought to check in case the girl was sick or something.

Candace interrupted his thoughts. "Get along now. Breakfast'll be ready soon, but don't come till Cookie calls. And tell the men to use the back door and to be mighty quiet when they come in the house."

Grunting his agreement, Josh headed back down the stairs, but he paused as he reached the last step. Damn it, somebody ought to check on the girl. For all anyone knew, she could be dead. Turning with renewed purpose, he climbed the stairs again, prepared to assert his authority over his recalcitrant mammy. But she had disappeared. Josh opened his mouth to call her back, then quickly closed it again. If he yelled, he might disturb the girl. Besides, why get into a flap with Candace? He'd just peek in on the girl himself, satisfy his concerns, and be on his way.

Quietly, so he would not wake the girl, he stole over to the bedroom door. Turning the knob with infinite care, he pushed the door open just a crack, just until he could see her where she lay on the bed.

Her back was to him and she had the covers pulled up to her chin so only that mop of golden hair was visible. From here he couldn't even tell if she was breathing. Tiptoeing, he entered the room, stopping a respectable distance from the bed, and peered over the hump of her shoulder. She looked even more like a child this morning, he thought, with her face flushed from sleep and one delicate hand curled against her cheek. When those blue eyes were closed, he could almost forget how attractive he'd found her as a woman.

Almost.

After a moment, he could see the rhythm of her breathing as the bedclothes rose and fell almost inperceptibly. Well, at least she was alive. She looked a lot less exhausted, too, and the purple smudges under her eyes had disappeared. Now all she needed was a little fattening up, and she'd be as good as new.

Suddenly, Josh knew an overwhelming urge to stroke the top of her head, where the hair lay burnished against her skin, or stroke her cheek to see if it was really as soft as it looked. Caught unawares, he almost gave in to that urge before his common sense warned him away. Sure as hellfire, if he touched her, she would wake up, and Lord only knew what she would think. And if Candace found out, she'd raise the roof, and rightly so.

Turning quickly, Josh was just about to leave as stealthily as he had entered when he caught sight of her dress hanging on a peg by the door, where Candace had put it to dry. He stared at the dress for a long moment, unconsciously visualizing the girl in the bed without it. Was the rest of her as soft and golden as her face? Painfully aware of how close she lay-so close he could almost imagine the heat from her body reaching out to warm him-he had to strain every nerve to keep from going back to find out.

This is crazy! he told himself sternly, taking a firm grip on the socks he still held in an attempt to resist the compelling temptation. Using all his willpower, he forced his feet to move away from her and toward the door. As he got closer to where the dress hung, he tried to focus on it as just a garment, but when he did, that made him think of something else. Noticing once again how ragged and worn the dress was and remembering how pathetic it had looked hanging on her slender body, Josh knew that he never wanted to see the thing again. Snatching it from its hook, he was about to carry it out and burn it when he remembered something else: Without the dress, she would have nothing else to wear. Although he had already told some of the men to go out and fetch her wagon and the rest of her things as soon as the ground was dry enough, he had no way of knowing if those "things" included a dress of which he would approve.

No, he decided, he would not take the chance on what else her wardrobe might contain. It was still early. He would have plenty of time to take care of this. If he was quick, he might even get back before she woke up, and she wouldn't even have a moment of apprehension. As an afterthought, he reached down and picked up her shoes, too, from where she had set them neatly beside the dress. Pulling the door shut carefully behind him, Josh grinned to himself. This would make her happy.

It never occurred to him to wonder why that should matter to him.

Felicity sat bolt-upright on the bed, her heart pounding wildly in her chest, every muscle strained for flight. But the wolves were gone and the night had turned to day and the cramped interior of the wagon was now a spacious bedroom. Her body sagging with relief, Felicity whispered a prayer of thanks that her fears had only been phantoms in a dream, and that she was, at least for the moment, safe.

As her heartbeat and her breathing settled back down to normal, Felicity glanced around the cheerful room and considered her situation. She need no longer fear wild animals or starvation, but her father had taught her that civilization held its own set of dangers. As kind as everyone at this ranch had been to her so far, they were still all strangers to her. She could not plan on their generosity for much longer. Soon she would have to make her own way in the world, but the thought filled her with a nameless dread. If she left this place, where could she go? And how? The sad truth was that she didn't even know where she was to begin with, and had no idea where she might go.

Sighing with frustration, she threw back the covers and swung her feet to the floor. She should be counting her blessings instead of worrying herself to death, she decided. For the first time in weeks she had a place to stay and food to eat and people-nice people-to take care of her. The terror that she had felt at being alone was gone, and the terror of facing what lay ahead was something she need not consider just yet. For this time, at least, she was safe. She would be grateful for that.

Determined not to let her fears spoil this glorious day, Felicity climbed out of the big bed and rose unsteadily to her feet. She had to wait a minute for her head to clear from having risen so suddenly, but when it had, she felt remarkably strong and alive. Drawn by the irresistible lure of the sunlight, she moved over to the window and pulled the curtain back a bit to peer out. What she saw pleased her very much.

Mr. Logan certainly knew how to run a ranch. The buildings, from her vantage point at least, appeared to be in good repair, and the corral fences were strong and straight. Felicity had seen enough ranches where the buildings were tumbling down and the fences were patched and held together with spit and rawhide to know a well-run operation when she saw one. This was the kind of ranch she and her father loved to come across because the owners took pride in their possessions and were both willing and eager to have them immortalized in photographs. Not only would a ranch like this provide enough work to support her and her father for weeks, but the owners would usually insist that the Storms stay around for a few days as guests. That meant good food, free food, a real blessing for folks whose only home was a wagon.

Maybe Mr. Logan would like for her to take some photographs of his ranch. She would be happy to, and she wouldn't even charge him, except maybe for the chemicals. That would be a way to thank him for all he had done for her.

Josh glanced back over his shoulder as he reentered the house and tried to judge the hour by the position of the sun. If his estimate was correct, he had made the trip to town and back in record time. He had left a lathered horse at the corral for one of the men to cool down for him, and he was carrying a rather large package.

He paused in the front doorway, prepared to do battle with Candace, but she was nowhere to be seen. Just as well, he told himself. He would simply place the package inside the girl's door and let her find it when she woke up. He walked quietly across to her bedroom.

Yes, Felicity decided, she should be concerned with other things besides selfishly worrying about herself. She reached up and ran her fingers through her long blond hair and shook it free down her back. Sighing again, this time with determination, she stretched her arms wide as if to embrace the vision of the Rocking L Ranch.

"Christ Almighty."

Gasping with surprise, Felicity whirled around to find Josh Logan gaping at her from the doorway. For a second she just stood there, too stunned to move or even lower her arms, but then she remembered what she was wearing, or rather, not wearing. With a cry of alarm, she raced back to the bed and dove under the covers.

Josh discovered his mouth was hanging open, and he closed it with a snap. He felt like he'd been kicked by a mule.

She had been standing in front of the window with her golden hair tumbling down and her arms stretched wide and the rest of her… God, the rest of her was just there, those long, shapely legs that went on and on up under his shirt until they joined those curving hips that gave way to that slender waist… And he had seen it all. The sunlight coming through the shirt had outlined everything quite clearly.

Josh tried to swallow but found that his mouth had gone very, very dry.

Felicity stared at him in complete mortification, clutching the bedclothes to her chin. "Don't you know you're supposed to knock before you come in here?" she demanded to cover her confusion. She was blushing furiously, and those azure eyes were flashing sparks of mingled anger and embarrassment.

Well, he was embarrassed, too, but there was no use in admitting it. That would only make things worse. "I just wanted to be sure you were all right," he said. "But you're right, I should have knocked." He didn't know whether he was glad or sorry that he hadn't, but never mind that. "I listened at the door, and when I didn't hear anything, I figured you were still asleep. I didn't want to wake you, so I was just going to set this inside the door for you." He held up the parcel he was still holding.

Felicity glanced at the package. "What is it?" she asked warily.

Josh shrugged. "Some things I thought you'd need. Here." He walked over to the bed and offered the paper-wrapped bundle to her.

Felicity fought down the surge of excitement his words had caused. "I… I can't take a present from you, Mr. Logan. You've already done enough for me." She clutched the bedclothes more tightly in an effort to avoid the temptation of reaching for the package.

Josh set the package in her lap. "Well, there's nothing in here that'll be of any use to me, so if you don't take it, it'll go to waste."

"Please, Mr. Logan, don't you know that a lady cannot accept gifts from-"

"It's not a gift," he said, annoyed.

"What is it, then?"

"Open it and see."

Carefully tucking the blanket under each of her arms so she would still be modestly covered, Felicity reached for the parcel and began to untie the string. Going slowly so as to savor every second of this delicious experience, she peeled away the paper to reveal the contents of Mr. Logan's surprise.

"Oh!" Felicity blinked back the tears that sprang to her eyes. She was silly to cry, but she couldn't seem to help it. She'd never had anything so pretty in her whole life. Reverently, she touched the blue gingham dress, marveling at its softness.

"There's two of them," Josh told her gruffly.

Wide-eyed and openmouthed, Felicity lifted her gaze to him for one disbelieving moment, but then lowered it quickly when she saw the look on his face. Mr. Logan was very displeased with her, and he probably had every right to be. She must be behaving very rudely. How many times had her father warned her that a lady should always be courteous, meek, and gentle-spoken, the way her mother had been? She should have refused the gift-and it was a gift, no matter what he said-in a more gracious manner. She would do so in just a moment, too, but first she had to see the other dress.

Very carefully, she lifted the neatly folded blue gingham to discover a blue calico underneath. This one was a slightly different shade, light blue with darker blue flowers sprinkled on it. "They're both beautiful," she whispered, afraid almost to say it aloud for fear they would evaporate before her eyes. Felicity could not remember the last time she had owned anything brand-new, if she ever had. Itinerant photographers were not well paid.

"Mrs. Hankins-the lady at the store-said she thought they'd fit all right, but just in case, she put in some needles and thread," Josh explained. The girl didn't look up but just kept staring at the dresses. "She also said she thought the color would be good, because of your eyes and all," he ventured.

Finally, those blue eyes lifted to his again. Not quite willing to explore the implications of his hint that he had matched the dresses to her eyes, she chose a safer topic. "How did she know what size?" Felicity asked curiously.

Josh was uncomfortable having to explain this particular detail of his shopping trip. "I took her your old dress to go by, and your shoes, too. There's a new pair in there somewhere," he added in an attempt to distract her so she would not realize that he would have had to come in her room earlier, while she slept, in order to have gotten those items. "And I told Mrs. Hankins to put in everything-else you'd need, two of everything."

Warily, Felicity lifted the calico dress a bit and caught a glimpse of something white and lacy folded underneath. She quickly covered it again, acutely conscious of Mr. Logan looming over her. The motion jarred loose a shoe from the bottom of the stack and it rolled free into Felicity's lap. With another startled "Oh," she picked it up, marveling at the shininess of the supple black leather. She wanted it so badly. She wanted it all so badly, but she knew she couldn't take any of it. These things had cost a fortune, and Felicity knew she would have to do a lot more than take a few photographs to repay Mr. Logan's generosity. If she worked a year, she would not be able to pay for all this.

"It's all so lovely and I thank you very much for thinking of me, but I can't take any of this," she told him sadly.

Josh stared at her in shocked disbelief. "Why not?"

Felicity sighed. "Because I can never pay you back for them, that's why. I don't have a cent to my name and-"

"Did I ask you to pay me back?" he demanded in exasperation. "This is a gift."

"You said it wasn't a gift," she reminded him, her own exasperation growing.

"Well, I lied."

"Then I certainly can't accept such a generous gift from a stranger," she said stubbornly.

"Generosity has nothing to do with it. I'm being selfish. I can't stand the thought of seeing you in that rag you had on before, so do me a personal favor and take these things instead. Don't you want to look nice?" Josh glared down at her, arms akimbo.

Felicity glared back. Of course she wanted to look nice! Did he think she wasn't like normal girls just because she was poor and lived in a wagon? Clamping her lips together over the ugly retort she really wanted to make, she said instead, "'Favor is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.'"

Now, wasn't that just like a woman? When you had her backed into a corner, she started quoting Scripture at you, Josh fumed. "I don't reckon the Lord'll mind if you have a decent dress to wear," Josh said, and when she started to reply, he added, "And besides, I burned your old one, so you'll have to wear these unless you want to go around buck-naked."

Gasping in shock and outrage, Felicity was very glad that she was much too angry to speak, because heaven only knew what blasphemy she might have uttered.

Satisfied that he had silenced all her objections, Josh turned on his heel and started for the door, muttering imprecations about ingratitude.

"Mr. Logan?" she called after him.

Slowly, warily, he turned to face her from across the room.

"I… you did a very nice thing for me," she stammered, uncertain exactly what to say. "You did a lot of nice things for me, when it comes to that, and you must think I'm horribly ungrateful." He looked very much as if he did, and Felicity swallowed before continuing. "I haven't got any excuse, except maybe that nobody ever gave me anything this nice before, and I don't know exactly how to act."

Looking into those huge blue eyes, Josh felt the anger drain out of him. "You don't have to 'act' any way. Just take it and say, 'thank you,'" he advised.

"Thank you," she repeated solemnly.

Josh frowned. What he really wanted to see was her smile. "Don't you like the dresses?" he asked.

"Oh, yes!" she hastened to assure him. "They're beautiful. I've never had anything so beautiful in my whole life!"

She was serious, Josh realized with amazement. Ordinary gingham and calico were the nicest things she had ever owned. Josh knew a sudden and unreasonable anger against all the forces that had conspired to deprive this poor girl thus far in her lifetime. He smiled, a slow, conciliatory smile. "Then if you like them, wear them, and no more silly talk about paying me back."

Felicity felt the impact of his smile all the way across the room. She smiled back. "I'll wear them, and thank you again."

Felicity twisted and turned, but try as she might, she could not see her whole self in the small mirror that hung above her washstand. How frustrating. Here she was, wearing the most beautiful dress in the whole world, and she couldn't see herself! Sighing in defeat, she made a last adjustment to the blue satin ribbon that held her hair back from her face.

She wasn't being vain, she reasoned. She just wanted to know that she would look presentable when she had to face the men of the Rocking L at supper. She would need all the confidence she could muster, because the mere thought of the coming meal terrified her. To make matters worse, her imagination seemed determined to increase that terror. Her father had warned her that men wanted a girl like her for only one thing. What that one thing was, Felicity was not certain, but she knew it was evil and wicked and that she must avoid it at all costs. And what if one of these men was the one who had been following her? What if he recognized her? What if he…?

Felicity pulled herself up short. What on earth was wrong with her to imagine such things? Hadn't she already convinced herself that no one was following her? Hadn't her father assured her of that time after time? And even if someone was following her, he had not been able to find her in weeks and weeks of wandering. How could he show up here on Mr. Logan's ranch? Felicity had enough to worry about without seeing phantoms where none existed. She should concentrate instead on protecting herself from the very real dangers that she must face.

In a desperate attempt to distract herself from these tormenting thoughts, she made one last attempt to see herself in the mirror. That lady at the store had thought of everything, Felicity discovered. Not only had she included needles and thread for any necessary alterations, but she had even remembered hair ribbons and hairpins, and a brush and comb. All that in addition to the fanciest, frilliest set of undergarments Felicity had ever seen. Felicity's frugal heart ached at having to cover them up. What a pity to have such wonderful things when no one would ever see them. Far better to have saved the expense and bought plain cotton, or at least that was what Felicity knew she should be thinking. What she was really thinking was how confident she felt knowing that she was pretty from the skin out, even if she was the only one who knew it.

Impulsively, Felicity spun around, testing the buoyancy of her skirts and petticoats-more petticoats than she had ever owned, much less worn, in her lifetime. Then she stopped abruptly, letting all that material twist and swish around her legs before falling gracefully still again. She smoothed the fabric of the dress with her hands, starting at the tiny collar and moving over her bodice and down the skirt, marveling at how soft it was. She had chosen to wear the gingham today because she liked the calico better. This was her way of doing penance because she felt so greedy over the new clothes.

The sound of horses in the ranch yard alerted her to the fact that the men were returning from their afternoon's work. Felicity put a hand over her quivering stomach. Earlier that day, as soon as Mr. Logan had left her room, in fact, Candace had come in to see what Mr. Logan had brought her. Felicity had overheard the two of them exchanging words outside her door, and she discerned that Candace had been scolding Mr. Logan. Felicity was somewhat mollified that someone had taken him to task for entering her bedroom unchaperoned.

Candace had admired her new finery and gotten her up out of bed and dressed in short order, clucking over her like a mother hen. For a reason Felicity did not understand, Candace seemed even more pleased about Mr. Logan's gifts than Felicity was.

"Can you really cook?" Candace had asked at one point.

"A little," Felicity admitted, reluctant to brag.

Candace sniffed impatiently. "Well, can you or can't you?" she demanded.

"Yes, I can," Felicity said defensively.

Candace raised her eyebrows skeptically, forcing Felicity into an explanation. "Whenever we'd stop at a farm or a ranch, I'd help out in the kitchen. Ladies always want to show off, so they'd tell me their secrets and teach me how to make their favorite dishes."

Candace considered this information. "How are you with pies?" she inquired, the light of challenge glittering in her black eyes.

Felicity rose to the challenge. "My pie crust is so light, you'll have to hold it down with a weighted sheet," she replied with an impish grin.

Candace laughed at that. "Well now, how'd you like to prove that?"

Felicity stared at her in surprise. "You mean you want me to cook? Here?"

Candace looked down her long, straight nose at the girl. "You want to start earning your keep around here, don't you?"

Of course! Why hadn't she thought of it herself? "Yes, I do. I'd gladly make some pies for the men," she said, experiencing a curious relief that Candace had provided this opportunity for her.

Felicity had been wary of approaching the ranch cook with the purpose of invading his kitchen, but Candace had no such qualms. The two women shooed him away and got down to work immediately. They had the entire afternoon in which to work, and by the end of it, twelve pies sat cooling on the kitchen table.

Now the moment of truth had arrived, and Felicity went to the window to listen for the men's approach. Through the glass she could hear them talking.

"What's that smell?" somebody asked.

"It's probably you, Gus. I told you, you gotta take a bath every month."

"Hey, I smell it, too!" a third voice exclaimed. "It smells like…"

"Apple pie!" the first voice announced.

"Apple pie!" a chorus of voices echoed in wonder.

"Hurry up, there."

"Yeah, hurry up."

Felicity could imagine them jostling each other for a turn at the pump in an effort to be the first to the table, and she smiled slightly, almost forgetting her own fears. In a few minutes she heard booted feet clomping swiftly into the house and on into the kitchen, and then silence.

Taking a deep breath to calm the butterflies that were fighting to the death inside her stomach, she moved cautiously to the bedroom door. Why had she ever allowed Candace to talk her into joining the men at their evening meal? The black woman had managed to make her feel guilty and selfish and ungrateful for wanting to take her meals in her room. At last Felicity had agreed to eat at the table this evening. Funny, it no longer seemed like such a good idea. She supposed her father's training was too deeply ingrained. She simply did not like drawing attention to herself.

She listened for another moment to be certain that the men had all gone on into the dining room, and then she opened the door a crack. Yes, the parlor was empty. Feeling moderately relieved, she opened the door wider and stepped through. Still no one in sight. So far so good. She would slip unobtrusively into the dining room, take her place at the table, and with any luck at all, no one would even notice her. In all her life, scarcely anyone had ever noticed her, so this should be no different.

Following the sound of voices and the clinking of eating utensils, Felicity crept silently toward the dining room doorway.

"There she is!" someone said the instant she stepped into view.

Felicity jumped at the announcement and almost looked over her shoulder to see who might have come in behind her. In another second she knew that no one was behind her. She was the one they were all staring at. And they were coming toward her, too, she realized with alarm. Chairs scraped across the plank floor as seven men rose from the table and closed in on her.

Their faces blurred as she desperately searched the group for someone she knew. Where was Cody? Or Mr. Logan? What were they going to do to her? Should she run?

But they didn't do anything. They just stood there grouped about her, gaping. Then one of them cleared his throat importantly, making her jump, and Felicity looked up into a blessedly familiar face.

"How are you feeling, miss?" Cody Wells asked timidly.

Felicity stared at his reddening face in surprise. Why, he was as nervous as she! And so were the others, judging from the way they were hanging back and shuffling their feet and hardly daring to meet her gaze. Her momentary panic subsided a bit, and she looked up at Cody again.

"I'm fine, Cody," she said softly. "And I don't think I ever thanked you for finding me," she added politely. To her horror, the other men began to make taunting, moaning sounds, and she felt herself begin to blush.

"Ain't you gonna introduce us, Cody?" one of them inquired.

Cody rolled his eyes heavenward for a moment. "I reckon I have to," he allowed. "Miss…" he began, but then stopped and frowned. "What's your last name?"

Felicity blinked up at him. "Storm," she replied, beginning to feel less intimidated with every passing minute. Her fears seemed foolish in the face of such good-natured and courteous behavior.

"Miss Storm, these here are the men of the Rocking L." He called their names, but the names, like the faces, were just one big blur to Felicity, who was trying not to let on how uncomfortable she felt with seven pairs of eyes riveted on her. She couldn't help thinking how her father would have scolded her for putting herself forward in such a way. He had never liked for anyone to notice her at all and had always insisted that she keep her golden curls tightly braided and covered with a bonnet so no one would. The thought of her father reminded her of so many other unpleasant things that she could only nod silently in response to the introductions.

"What's going on here?" Josh Logan demanded as he came into the dining room. "Felicity?" he asked, frowning at the scene before him.

The men backed away guiltily, although none of them could have said at the moment what they had been doing to feel guilty for. They only knew that when Mr. Logan got that look in his eye, a smart man gave him a wide berth.

Josh's frown deepened. "What's going on here?" he demanded again.

Felicity looked to Cody, who she expected would offer an explanation, but Cody was busy examining the toes of his boots. Her glance darted back to Mr. Logan, who was watching her as if he thought she was responsible for whatever it was that had so displeased him. A little affronted, she managed to keep it from her voice. "Cody was introducing me to the other men," she explained.

"How nice," Josh said, but he obviously didn't think it was nice at all. He waited, but nobody said anything else. Finally he remarked, "I reckon the food will be getting cold."

As if on cue, the other men scrambled into motion and back over to their places at the table, where they began to eat with enthusiasm.

Felicity wasn't quite sure what she should do next, so she did nothing.

Josh, satisfied that the men had been taken care of, turned back to Felicity. He looked her up and down, noticing things about the simple gingham dress he had never suspected. "I see it fits," he said with elaborate nonchalance.

Self-conscious once again, Felicity glanced down at the dress she wore and nervously smoothed the skirt with one hand. "It fits perfectly. Everything does," she added, making a vague reference to the myriad undergarments she wore. To her horror, she could feel the color rising in her cheeks again. Resolutely, she pulled herself up to her full five feet nothing and met his gaze, flinching only slightly at the directness of those silver eyes.

The dress did fit perfectly, he acknowledged silently. In fact, it fit a little too perfectly. Seeing the way the light cotton fabric hugged her small, round breasts and that slender waist, he realized that no man in his right mind would ever mistake her for a child now. His cowboys had judged her age correctly, if the way they'd been sniffing around her was any indication. Maybe he'd made a terrible mistake in burning that old baggy dress of hers.

Josh cleared his throat. "Are you joining us for supper?" he asked, half hoping that she would say no. Perversely, he wanted to send her back to the bedroom and lock her in, out of sight of the other men.

Felicity frowned, understanding only too clearly that he didn't want her to eat with the men and wondering if there was some reason why she shouldn't. "Yes," she said, hastily adding, "if it's all right."

"Let's eat, then," he suggested with resignation. Then, from some distant part of his memory, an image stirred of a time when life at the Rocking L had included a lady. Vaguely, he recalled his father escorting his mother into the dining room, and for once the memory brought no pain. Without bothering to question the impulse, Josh offered his guest his arm, as he had seen his father do for his mother countless times.

Felicity stared at it for a moment. Shyly, she slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow and allowed him to lead her the rest of the way into the dining room.

Hardly daring to let herself touch him, she rested her hand as lightly on his arm as she could and kept her eyes lowered until he had seated her in the nearest empty chair. Good heavens! Her face felt like it was on fire, and so did the rest of her. She knew it was just embarrassment at making such a spectacle of herself. It had to be.

Josh looked down at the top of her golden head as he pushed her chair in. She was such a little, innocent thing. A girl like this had no place among the rough men who populated the Rocking L, and if she stayed here, she certainly wouldn't be innocent for very long. No, Josh knew he had made a mistake, and he would rectify it as soon as he could. In a few days, whenever Blanche returned from her trip, he'd have to take her over there.

Felicity barely had time to recover her composure when one of the men set a plate of food in front of her. Glancing up, she saw Mr. Logan helping himself from serving bowls placed on the sideboard. She already knew that the usual method of service on a ranch was every man for himself.

She turned back to her benefactor. "Oh, thank you, but you don't need to wait on me!" she assured him.

The man, who she vaguely recalled was named Gus, grinned and told her it was his pleasure, drawing a series of moaning taunts from the other men for his trouble. Felicity looked down the long table where Mr. Logan was just taking his seat. He gave Gus a disapproving look but said nothing.

Felicity noticed that the other men had already gobbled up half their meals, and Mr. Logan wasted no time in digging into his own.

Felicity watched in surprise for a moment and then said, "Excuse me."

Every movement abruptly ceased and all eyes turned, once again, expectantly to her.

She stammered, "Is… isn't anyone going to ask the blessing?"

Stunned silence greeted her question.

Josh didn't know whether to be annoyed or amused. He tried to recall the last time a meal at the Rocking L had been prayed over, and could not. When it became increasingly apparent that no one was going to be able to eat until today's meal had been, however, Josh shrugged resignedly. "Maybe you'd like to do it, Felicity," he suggested.

She really preferred not to, of course, but obviously no one else was about to volunteer. Primly, she folded her hands, closed her eyes, and bowed her head. "Thank you, Lord, for the bounty of this table. Bless the food to the nourishment of our bodies and bless the hands that prepared it. Amen," she said, reciting words that were as natural and familiar to her as breathing.

When she lifted her head, she was startled to note that she was the only one who had bowed for the prayer. Everyone else was simply staring at her, waiting. Honestly, didn't they have anything better to do than stare at her? "Amen," she repeated loudly, and reached for her fork.

"Smells like Cookie made something worth praying over tonight," someone remarked as the men resumed their eating.

"Yeah, and I'll bet Miss Felicity had something to do with it, too," Grady commented, giving her a sly smile.

Felicity looked up, surprised that they had guessed her secret so quickly, but then Cody said, "Cookie never bakes fancy stuff when it's just us. Maybe we ought to think about keeping Miss Felicity around permanent."

Felicity gave him a small smile to acknowledge his compliment. She did not notice Mr. Logan's second frown of disapproval.

Since custom prohibited conversation during meals, no one spoke again until everyone had finished eating. Then they waited expectantly as Cookie carried out the pies.

"Come and get 'em," he called.

The men made a dash for the sideboard, where Cookie had set the pies. Felicity couldn't help but smile to notice that every man claimed an entire pie for himself. Some of them simply dug in with a fork, while others took the time to slice theirs and pick up each individual piece to devour it.

"You outdid yourself this time, Cookie," Grady declared when he had disposed of his first piece. The others readily concurred.

The cook grunted sourly. "I never had nothing to do with them pies. Miss Felicity made them."

A moment of silence greeted this announcement, and then the room exploded with compliments and reaffirmations that they were all very glad indeed that Miss Felicity had come to visit.

Shyly, she lifted her gaze to where Mr. Logan sat, but when her eyes met his, her heart sank down to her shoes. He wasn't pleased. He wasn't pleased at all.

As Josh listened to the men raving over Felicity, his expression grew grimmer and grimmer. Even the pie-which was, he admitted grudgingly, the best he'd ever had-began to taste like sawdust as he watched them mooning over her. As delicious as the pie was, he knew she'd be a much sweeter morsel, and he guessed the rest of them knew it, too. At least none of them would pass up an opportunity to find out.

After what seemed like hours, the men finally finished off every last crumb of the pies. Ordinarily, at this point they would have adjourned to the front porch for a smoke, but today no one was about to move from the room as long as Miss Felicity was in it. Felicity picked at her pie, trying not to feel unnerved at the attention she was getting. After a few moments of hemming and hawing, Cody Wells, who had managed to claim the seat to her immediate right, thought of something to say to break the silence.

"Your wagon… it said you're a photographer," he ventured.

Felicity looked up. "Yes… that is, my father was," she admitted reluctantly, not wanting to pursue the subject of her late father.

As if sensing her wishes, he skirted that topic. "Do you know how to make pictures, too?" he asked hopefully.

Josh almost snorted at the idea of such a thing. "Don't be ridic-"

"Yes, I do," Felicity replied simultaneously, silencing Josh.

"I've always wanted to get my picture made," Cody reflected to no one in particular, and several of the other men chimed in with "Me, too."

Felicity glanced around the table. The men were perfectly sincere and pathetically eager in their enthusiasm. The tiny seed of an idea that she had been nursing began to sprout. Here was a perfect way to earn some money with which to repay Mr. Logan. He obviously didn't like the idea of her in his kitchen. "I'd be happy to make your pictures," Felicity said, eliciting whoops of pleasure from the men.

Felicity once again lifted her eyes to meet Mr. Logan's across the table. Her breath caught at the intensity of that silver gaze. Unable to quite read his expression, she knew a shivering unease at the thought that he might not approve this plan either. "That is, if Mr. Logan says it's all right," she amended.

"Don't be pestering her, boys. She's had a hard time of it, and she needs some rest," he said, effectively dousing everyone's enthusiasm.

"They aren't pestering me!" Felicity objected, but the sight of Mr. Logan's frown silenced her further protests. She swallowed the irritation that was rapidly building into anger over his interference in her idea and forced a placating smile to her lips. "I really don't mind. It's the least I can do after all you've done for me. This is such a fine-looking ranch, you really ought to have some photographs of it to have for your grandchildren to see," she said, repeating something her father had often said to convince reluctant customers. Of course, she didn't know if Mr. Logan even had any grandchildren or whether he ever hoped to have any, but it was an argument she knew to be effective. Mr. Logan didn't look all that convinced, though.

He wasn't, but mention of his future grandchildren struck a responsive chord. "Well, if you want to…" he said, a little reluctantly.

"Oh, I do," she assured him.

"How about tomorrow," someone suggested eagerly.

"No, I gotta wash my good shirt…" someone else objected.

"Wait a minute!" Josh silenced them. "You men have work to do tomorrow, and besides, Miss Felicity is still recovering. I think Saturday would be soon enough."

Felicity, who wasn't sure exactly what day it was today, asked, "How soon is that?"

"Day after tomorrow," Cody Wells told her, and from his expression she knew he was far from pleased about it.

Understanding his disappointment, she comforted him. "I have to check my chemicals anyway. I may need to get some fresh supplies before I can do the pictures. And we'll need to move my wagon to the ranch," she added, suddenly remembering that important detail.

"We'll fetch it tomorrow," Cody offered with puppylike eagerness. "The ground should be plenty dry by then."

Again Josh dampened everyone's enthusiasm by asking, "How much do you charge for making someone's picture?"

"Fifty cents a picture," she said, a little chagrined at having to discuss her fees so publicly. Naturally, she would never accept money from Mr. Logan.

From their murmurs, the men thought her price more than fair. For a few minutes the men discussed possible poses and the clothes they would wear, until Josh blandly suggested that the meal was over and Cookie might be wanting to clean up. Reluctantly, the men began to rise and carry their dirty dishes to the wreck pan by the kitchen door and make their way out of the room.

As he passed by where Felicity still sat, Cody Wells leaned over with a happy smile and said, "I'm real glad you'll be staying at least until Saturday, and not just for the pictures, either."

At any other time, Felicity would have blushed at such a flirtatious remark, but this time she hardly registered Cody's implied meaning. His words about her staying at least until Saturday had lodged in her mind, stirring up all sorts of unpleasant images.

Very soon she would have to decide where she would go when she left the Rocking L Ranch. For so long she had had just one goal, to get to civilization, to where other people were who could help her. Now that she was here, she suddenly realized that her problems were just beginning. Where was she going to go now? Not even one possibility came to mind, and Felicity found the blankness of that future horrifying.

She barely even noticed when some of the other men made parting remarks along the same lines as Cody's, and she only nodded absently in response.

"Felicity?"

Felicity looked up to where Mr. Logan still sat at the head of the table. The rest of the men had gone, and the two of them were now alone in the room. She waited expectantly.

Josh fought the urge to wince at the vulnerability reflected in those enormous blue eyes. He was a fool to keep her here. If he had a lick of sense, he'd be trying to think of someplace besides Blanche's to take her instead of planning activities for her here. "Felicity, we need to talk," Josh said, rising from his chair.

Felicity waited, watching as he moved toward her. He was so tall, so forbidding, and she felt her heart racing in her chest. What was he going to talk to her about? Nothing good, she knew, not from the way he had been glaring at her all during the meal.

She tried to meet his gaze as he lowered himself into the chair that Cody had earlier vacated. His grim expression did little to reassure her.

"Have you thought about where you're going to go and what you're going to do now?" Josh asked after a few seconds of silence.

Felicity shook her head.

"Well," he continued, with forced heartiness, "you must have some family, some relatives someplace. We could contact them and-"

"I don't have any family," she said.

"But you must," Josh insisted. "An aunt or uncle? Cousins?"

Felicity shook her head again. "No one. My mother died about ten years ago. If she or Papa had any relatives, I don't know about them, and now that Papa is…" Her voice quivered and she paused a moment. "Now there's no one," she concluded simply.

Josh stared at her. This was going to be even harder than he thought. "Ah, well then," he said, searching around for another solution, and then one occurred to him. "You could take photographs! You could open up a shop in town," he continued, visualizing the storefront operation in San Antonio where he had had his own photograph made. "There must be lots of folks around here who'd like to have a picture of themselves…"

But Felicity was shaking her head again. "That wouldn't work, Mr. Logan," she explained. "A photographer needs a steady stream of new customers, and there just aren't enough people around here for that. Once everyone got their pictures made, my business would dry up. That's why Papa and I had to travel so much."

Josh frowned. "But shops like that do exist. I've seen them."

"Only in big cities," Felicity said apologetically.

Josh brightened momentarily, but then he tried to picture a young orphaned girl setting herself up in business in a large city. Such a thing was unthinkable, just as unthinkable as her continuing to travel alone in that wagon. "There must be something you can do," he muttered, as much to himself as to her.

"About the only things I can do are cook and keep house," she said. "And I can probably take care of children, although I've never been around them much," she mused, wondering what her chances might be of getting a teaching job. But she quickly dismissed that idea. She had only a few years of formal schooling, and although her father had tutored her well, she doubted anyone would take her word for how much she knew.

Josh considered her meager qualifications. Cooking, cleaning house, taking care of children. She wasn't suited to being anything except… Josh's body stiffened. She was giving him her qualifications for being a wife!

Josh had heard enough eager mamas and avid matchmakers expound the charms of every eligible girl within a hundred miles of here to recognize a sales pitch when he heard one. She wanted to be someone's wife, and whose wife could she plan on being? The answer was obvious, he realized, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. That explained the pies. He knew the old saw about the way to a man's heart being through his stomach. But, he admitted, studying Felicity's guileless blue eyes, the girl didn't look cunning enough to have thought of it herself, not already.

That left only one possibility. Could Candace have put the idea into her head? How many times had Candace hinted that it was time and past time for Josh to think about getting married and settling down? As if he weren't already perfectly settled. And marriage was for fools, as Candace well knew.

The girl looked up at him with those cornflower eyes, the picture of innocence, and Josh began to doubt again. No, she wasn't hinting, not yet at any rate. Even Candace had not had enough time to set such a plan in motion. And what if she had? Josh wondered, surprising even himself. Would that be such a bad thing? The girl was pretty and sweet-tempered, and she could bake a mean apple pie. But Josh still hadn't decided whether he wanted to get married or not. He stood abruptly. "You can't stay here," he announced.

Felicity stared at him in surprise. "I know that," she said. How well she knew it, too. She should not even be here now.

"There's a widow lives on the next ranch," he began reasonably. "She's gone now, to Dallas, but as soon as she gets back…" His voice trailed off as he experienced a strange reluctance to complete the sentence.

Nodding her understanding, Felicity rose, too. "Meanwhile, I'll try to make myself useful around here," she promised in an attempt to mollify him.

Unfortunately, her offer had the opposite effect. "No," he said a little too sharply. "I mean, no, you don't have to do anything. Just consider yourself a guest."

"But I-"

"How did you like those pies, Mr. Josh?" Candace inquired slyly from the kitchen doorway.

Josh and Felicity glanced up at her in surprise, and she studied their faces carefully. Having taken her meal in the kitchen, she had heard everything, including the private conversation between Josh and Felicity. That was why she had chosen this particular moment to interrupt. Josh was already running, and no one had even started chasing him yet. The man was certainly suspicious. She would have to be very careful.

"The pies were delicious," Josh admitted grudgingly, imagining the gleam of satisfaction that would be in Candace's eye.

"Maybe we'll plan a treat for breakfast, too," Candace remarked with apparent casualness. "Do you know how to make Bear Sign, miss?"

Felicity's forehead wrinkled a moment until she remembered that Bear Sign was the cowboy's slang for doughnuts. "Oh yes, I know a special recipe…"

Josh swore silently. Of course she did. "Well, if you ladies will excuse me," he said, the sarcasm thick in his voice.

"Why, certainly…" Felicity began, but stopped when she realized she was speaking to his back.

"Don't pay him no nevermind," Candace advised, moving over to place a comforting arm around the girl's slender shoulders. "We haven't had a lady around here in so long that he's forgotten how to act. He liked the pie. I could tell. Apple pie is his favorite in all the world," confided the woman who had taken him from his mother's body. "And he's got a lot on his mind just now, what with the spring roundup starting. There's this Mexican bandito name of Ortega who shows up about this time every year, too, to bedevil us. Mr. Josh just can't help being grouchy."

Felicity gave Candace a grateful smile. The woman seemed determined that Felicity not grow discouraged. If only Candace could provide her with some answers about what her future held.

As they left the room, Candace hummed softly as she envisioned exactly what that future was going to be.

Asa Gordon read the telegram again and muttered a very satisfying curse before crumpling it and tossing it into the wastebasket. He leaned backward in his desk chair and closed his eyes wearily, but the words of the message still teased against his eyelids. "Found Storm." "Lost them." Someone was going to be very angry about this piece of information. Someone had already spent several years and several thousands of dollars on the search, and now to come so close without making contact.

Gordon's chair squeaked as he swiveled to view the framed picture that hung behind his desk. The large, staring eye. The Eye That Never Sleeps. He himself had lost more than a little sleep over this particular case, and now he would lose even more. But he would not give up. His client would continue to pay, he knew, and Asa Gordon had never yet failed to satisfy a customer. Even if he had to travel all the way from Philadelphia to Texas himself, he would find Felicity Storm.

Chapter Three

Crullers, Josh thought sourly as he strolled aimlessly around the ranch yard. Of all the crazy things. She'd made a bushel basket full of them, and before dawn, too. He'd never seen the men so excited about anything as they had been that morning at breakfast when Cookie had displayed the delicately twisted and fried strips of dough that melted in a man's mouth.

Josh took one last drag on his cigarette before throwing it down and grinding it out with the heel of his boot. He had hoped that his customary evening walk would clear away the disturbing images of his men gazing raptly at the lovely Miss Felicity, both at breakfast this morning and again at supper, when she had treated them to a batch of Spotted Pup. The dish of rice and raisins sweetened with brown sugar had turned the already-smitten ranch hands into sniveling idiots. Josh was beginning to think he was the only sane man left on the place. Even Grady had gone all goggle-eyed.

Not that Josh could blame them, of course. The girl seemed to get prettier every time he saw her. Her eyes no longer held that startled, wary look that made him think she was ready to bolt at the slightest provocation, either. In fact, she appeared to be almost at ease eating with the men now, as if she somehow belonged there at the ranch. Josh had to admit he was rapidly getting used to seeing her golden loveliness every time he glanced down the long table.

For one crazy moment he pictured a row of towheaded children seated along that table. He smiled wistfully.

"Evening, Mr. Josh," Candace called, coming across the ranch yard to where he had paused near the barn.

Josh quickly wiped the smile from his face and watched her progress through narrowed eyes. She looked as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. Josh knew that look. She was coming to plant a few ideas in his head, and Josh was willing to bet that those ideas concerned a certain Miss Felicity Storm. He waited patiently for the inevitable.

Candace slowed her pace a little, sensing his wariness. Her Joshua was not a stupid man. He already knew what she was up to. It was a little game they played. She would let him know, very subtly, what she wanted him to do, and then she would feign total ignorance when he questioned her about it. Of course, she would then feel obligated as his mammy to give him her considered opinion in the matter and trust that his natural good judgment would lead him to make the proper decision.

They had played this game for years. Had she been his real mother, she could have given him advice outright. Had she been merely his servant, she would not have dared to advise him. Since her true status lay somewhere in between these two clearly defined areas, she had devised this method of guiding him. She had never tried to guide him on such an important matter, however, and Candace knew a slight quiver of apprehension as she approached him.

"I was just wondering if there was anything special you'd like to wear for tomorrow so I can make sure it's ironed proper," she said with just the right degree of subservience. Josh would have liked to irritate her by pretending he'd forgotten the photography session scheduled for tomorrow, but since the other men had talked of little else all day- except maybe crullers-he could not. "Whatever's already clean will be fine," he said, knowing his lack of enthusiasm for the girl's project would satisfactorily annoy Candace.

If Candace was annoyed, she did not let it show. Instead, she sighed dramatically, "It's just a shame that a man like you doesn't have his own woman to do things for him," she remarked.

Josh fought the grin he felt tugging at his lips. Candace was never very subtle. "I've got you," he pointed out, willing to play his role to the hilt.

Candace sighed again, and Josh was hard-pressed once again not to smile at her melodramatics. "Yes, but I'm not getting any younger. Why, sometimes I'm so crippled up by the rheumatism that I can't hardly haul myself out of bed in the morning. I'm not getting any younger, and someday-"

"Candace," Josh interrupted, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, "there's nothing I need done for me that you can't do perfectly well."

Candace's dark eyes glittered wickedly and her wide mouth split into a triumphant smile. She sidled up closer to him, until she looked him directly in the eye, and said, "Oh, I think there's one or two things that a sweet young wife could do for you that your poor old mammy would never even dream of."

Before Josh could even register the shock of her words, she was gone in a swish of calico. He stared after her as his startled brain formed some very interesting images concerning the begetting of that row of towheaded youngsters. Only when the pretty blond woman in his fantasy announced that she didn't want any more children did Josh emerge from his fog. Shaking his head to dispel that ugly vision, he frowned as old memories came back to haunt him. No, he was being foolish to consider marriage. Women brought only trouble. He knew that too well. Turning on his heel, he continued on his tour of the ranch yard.

Ordinarily, Josh used this peaceful time after the evening meal to inspect the ranch buildings and make a mental note of anything that needed to be done the next day. Although he had never admitted it, even to himself, he also used this time to renew his bond with his land, to silently enjoy the buildings that were the physical proof of his union with this place.

But Candace had destroyed any possibility of contentment this evening. Restless, Josh stalked unseeing past the barn and the corrals, not allowing himself to think about what Candace had said. Instead he tried to think about Ortega, the Mexican bandit who came north each spring to rustle cattle from the Texas ranchers and drive them back across the border for sale in Cuba. Every year Josh chased him, and every year the sneaky snake managed to slither back to safety across the border with some of Josh's cattle. This year would be different, however, Josh vowed as he successfully distracted himself from thoughts of the girl. This year he would get Ortega once and for all.

But as Josh rounded the corner of the barn, he stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of the gaily painted wagon that the men had parked there. Her wagon. He found even the sight of it disturbing, and all thoughts of Ortega vanished from his mind. He was about to turn his back on it when he heard a thumping sound. Someone was inside.

Felicity took one last look around the place that had been her home for half her life. Everything was in readiness for tomorrow, and she had gathered all her belongings into a bundle to carry back to the house. She could leave now, but she paused one last moment, savoring the familiar sights and scents.

The interior of the wagon smelled strongly of the chemicals she and her father used for making photographs, the odor of which had long since permeated the wood of the wagon body. The wagon itself had served as an army ambulance during the war. Her father, who had worked as one of Matthew Brady's photographers to memorialize that war, had "requisitioned" it afterward, and put it to good use. Not only had it carried their equipment, but it provided a traveling darkroom for developing their pictures, as well as a place for them to sleep when the weather was bad.

This wagon had been home to her and her father, and bittersweet memories of those past. times washed over her. Shared laughter, and quiet times, and jostling each other in the dark as they prepared the photographic, plates. Long evenings beside a campfire, and an endless stream of strange towns and stranger people. Tears stung her eyes.

"What are you…" Josh began, and then the shadowy figure turned and he recognized her. "Oh, it's you," he said, nonplussed by the surge of pleasure the sight of her brought. The rays from the setting sun caught the gold in her hair. "Is anything wrong?" he asked gruffly.

"No," Felicity said, lifting a hand to her chest to cover the clamoring of her heart. He did look rather forbidding silhouetted in the open doorway like that with the sun making a red-gold nimbus around him. She forced a smile to her Ups. "I was just making sure everything was ready for tomorrow. And I gathered up the rest of my things to take back to the house," she added, picking up the bundle she had made.

Josh watched her move toward him, involuntarily noticing the slender curves of her body beneath the blue gingham dress and the way her eyes glittered like diamonds and the way the sunlight glowed in her hair. As if she also reflected the heat from the sun, Josh felt himself grow warmer as she approached the doorway, where he stood.

"Excuse me," she said softly. He stepped back out of her way, reaching up instinctively to help her down the step to the ground.

Felicity's heart seemed determined to beat its way out of her chest. She kept telling herself that she need not fear Mr. Logan, but the closer she got to him, the more strongly her body reacted to him, as if it were preparing her to run to safety. No wonder she almost gasped when his strong fingers gripped her elbow.

"Thank you," she murmured, stepping away from him. "I'd better get back to the house now."

"I'll walk with you," Josh offered, quite against his conscious will. He knew perfectly well that he should stay as far away from this girl as possible. Still, what could it hurt to spend a few extra minutes with her?

Having rationalized his conduct, he reached out and took the bundle from her. "I'll carry that for you," he said.

"You… you have a very nice ranch here, Mr. Logan," she said in a frantic attempt to fill the silence that vibrated between them. She still did not look up at him, although she was painfully aware of his every movement as they walked toward the house.

Josh glanced down at her suspiciously, but what he saw confirmed his earlier belief in her ignorance of Candace's plan. Candace could not have coached her very well if she was trying to get on his good side with flattery. Of course, if she started going on about what a big, strong, handsome man he was and how she'd like nothing better than to take care of him for the rest of her life, he'd know he was wrong. He waited, reserving judgment.

Felicity was too nervous to notice that he had not responded to her statement. "I've seen a lot of ranches, traveling around like we did. Yours is one of the finest anywhere. You must love it very much." What an odd thing to say, she thought, uncertain where such an idea had come from but too flustered to figure it out.

Josh looked at her sharply. How had she figured that out? "Do you need anything special for tomorrow?" he asked to change the subject.

"No, I have everything I need. I hope everyone will enjoy the photographs. The posing and the waiting can be a little boring."

"I doubt that anyone will mind the waiting," he said noncommittally.

Another awkward silence fell while Felicity cast about for something else to say, sensing that the silence held unseen dangers. "I don't think I ever thanked you for… for all you've done for me," she said at last. "You've been so nice, and I appreciate it very much. The room is lovely and the clothes are the prettiest I've ever owned and everyone has been so kind…"

She knew she was babbling but could not seem to help herself. They had started up the porch steps, and he stayed with her right across the porch and through the door and into the parlor, as if mesmerized by the sound of her voice.

"… and I sometimes wish I could stay here forever," she said, instantly shocked by her own boldness. What a thing to say!

"You can't stay here," Josh said, instantly defensive. He tossed her bundle onto the settee and turned on her somewhat belligerently.

"I know I can't," Felicity hastily assured him, appalled by the tears that seemed only too ready to blur her vision lately. Blinking furiously, she did not see his expression soften. Nor did she see him reach for her.

She looked so vulnerable, and he only meant to comfort her, but he had forgotten how wonderful she felt in his arms. He pulled her closer, reaching up to stroke the golden softness of her hair.

Felicity stiffened instinctively as his arms closed around her, but her natural reserve melted in the warmth of his embrace, the same embrace that had comforted her during the storm. This was what she had been longing for ever since her father's death, someone to hold her and tell her everything would be fine. She surrendered to his strength.

Sensing her surrender, Josh almost groaned aloud. Her body burned against his like a living flame, scorching wherever it touched. Yet he pulled her closer still, eager for his own destruction. His hands moved over her back, tracing her slenderness, memorizing the feel of her through the thin material of her dress. She was so small, yet so vibrant. Life seemed to radiate from her, and Josh had the vague impression that he could absorb that life into himself, that he could warm his soul on the heat of her vitality, if he could only hold her tightly enough.

Felicity looked up into his face. His eyes were the color of storm clouds, but she knew he was not angry. She liked those eyes, liked the way the lashes framed them, dark at the base and fading to pure white at the tips, where the sun had bleached them. He smelled of horses and leather and sunshine and Josh Logan. Felicity savored his scent as his hands compelled her closer.

Her eyes were so blue, but now he noticed that there were tiny golden flecks in them, too, as if the hand that had created her had added them to match the gold in her hair. Dark brown lashes curled up gracefully, and Josh remembered how they had looked brushing her cheeks when she had slept peacefully in his arms. He could see where her dimple would be if it were showing. But it wasn't showing. Her lips weren't smiling. Instead they were parted slightly to allow her sweet breath to sigh out. Her mouth was pink and soft, and he knew just how she would taste, like honey, thick and luscious, dripping from the comb.

His lips touched hers, closing out light and sound and everything else except the delicious sensation of mouth against mouth. Quite of their own accord, her arms came up, encircling his waist, and she felt as much as heard the moan that started deep in his chest.

Josh crushed her to him in the futile pursuit for unity, ignoring the warning his subconscious mind was sending him that so delicate a creature might not bear rough handling.

Felicity felt the change in him, the shift from exploration to desperation. Frightened by forces she did not understand, she tried to break away.

Startled, Josh released her, and she broke free of his embrace, stumbling backward a few steps before lifting her eyes to him again. They stared at each other in mute horror.

Felicity lifted the back of her hand to her throbbing mouth. She felt as if she had run a mile, and she noticed that his breath was coming in ragged gasps, too. Mr. Logan had kissed her. The thought was so astounding that it could barely get a foothold in her seething brain. Why would he do such a thing? And why had she allowed it? But how could she have prevented it? And what would happen now?

Josh could not believe what he had done. The girl was under his protection, and he had grabbed her and kissed her as if she were some two-bit whore. He must be out of his mind. "That didn't happen," he said hoarsely.

Felicity was only too happy to promote such a delusion. "No, it didn't," she whispered, unable to make her voice work normally.

He drew a ragged breath and hurried from the house, slamming the door behind him. Out on the porch he tried to roll himself a smoke but found that his hands were shaking too badly. With a curse he flung the mangled mess away and stormed down the steps and across the ranch yard.

Felicity stared at the door through which he had gone for several minutes, hardly daring to move.

"Did he kiss you?" Candace inquired casually from the other side of the room.

"No! Of course not!" Felicity lied, whirling to face the black woman.

"Oh," Candace replied calmly, noting what a poor liar the girl was. "I wonder whatever made me think a thing like that. Did you fetch your things from the wagon?" she asked, gesturing to the bundle sitting on the settee.

"Yes." Felicity snatched up the bundle. "Mr. Logan helped me carry my things over to the house. That's all. I… I think I'll go to my room now. I'm a little tired, and tomorrow will be a busy day."

"Good night then," Candace said, but the girl was already closing the door behind her. Candace smiled smugly. Things were going perfectly.

Much later Josh entered the bunkhouse, where most of the rest of the men had already turned in for the night. A lamp was burning at the far end of the room, where Josh's bunk was located. He crept silently toward it past the rows of sleeping men. Cody was lying on the bunk next to his, flipping through an issue of The Police Gazette. Looking at the pictures of scantily clad ladies, no doubt, Josh thought. Josh guessed he wasn't the only one around here obsessed with women lately. The boy looked up, smiling a greeting as Josh began to prepare for bed.

After a minute Cody closed the magazine and stuffed it back under his mattress. He stretched out on his back, propping his hands behind his head. "She sure is a nice girl, isn't she?" Cody asked, apropos of nothing.

Josh didn't have to ask to whom he was referring, of course. Since he did not trust himself to reply, he did not.

But Cody needed no encouragement. "Wouldn't it be great if she could stay here? Forever, I mean?"

Josh felt his nerves stretch taut. Was that all anyone around her could think about? "She can't stay here, Cody," Josh said. "It wouldn't be proper."

"Oh, I know that," the boy agreed readily enough. "But she could if she was married. You know, if she married… one of us."

Josh was just about to inform him that such a thing would never happen when he noticed the hopeful gleam in the boy's brown eyes. Cody wanted to marry her himself! Josh could only stare for a long moment. "Turn out the light," he finally managed to say before slipping into his own bunk.

He lay there for a long time in the darkness, wondering if the bitter taste in his mouth could possibly be jealousy. But how could he be jealous when he had no feelings for the girl himself? After a while, he reluctantly admitted that he did have some feelings for the girl, but certainly not honorable ones. Not the kind that led to marriage.

Josh couldn't imagine ever having those kinds of feelings for a woman, not after what his mother had done. The thought of his mother-and of her betrayal-sliced into him with an almost physical pain. She had been gone nearly twenty years, but he could still see her lovely face just as plain as day. He remembered times when she had come into his room at night and kissed him, remembered the softness of her lips, the scent of her perfume. But mostly he remembered the things he wasn't supposed to have seen-his father reaching out to touch her and her lily-white hands pushing him away.

"Don't, Gideon," she had said.

"But it's been so long." His father's voice, pleading as Josh had never heard it.

"I told you, I won't have any more babies. I almost died the last time. You know that." Her voice, shrill and angry.

Now he was angry, too. "But you're my wife. I have rights."

And then Josh had run away from the angry voices. He hadn't understood then what they had been arguing about, but he did now. Knowing helped him to understand why she had left finally, but understanding had never helped him to forgive. He also remembered another conversation he was not supposed to have heard.

"I'll only stay a few months. My mother's sick. She needs me, Gideon," she had said,

"Don't lie, Amelia. We both know that if you leave here, you'll never come back," his father had replied.

"I will! I promise!" she had lied again. "I just need some time away. I'm dying here, Gideon, stuck on this ranch alone all the time with no friends and no parties and no fun."

"You'd leave your son?" he had asked, sending fear coursing through Josh's small body.

"Of course not; I'll take Joshua with me. It would be a good experience for him to see another kind of life." Josh recognized her tone. It was the one she used to wheedle things out of his father, half-coaxing, half-seductive.

But his father would not be moved. "You can leave here if you want to, Amelia. I won't stop you, but you aren't taking Josh. He's my son, too, and this is his home, his heritage. He stays."

Paralyzed with fear, the boy Josh had listened as the mother he adored and the father he worshiped had argued on about his fate. Even now he could not bring himself to recall the rest of the argument, the harsh and ugly words that had decided he would lose his mother forever.

The day she left, they took her to the train. She was pretending that she was only going back East on a visit. Although Josh's father had ridden the entire way in grim silence, Josh had not said a thing to indicate that he knew the truth. She wept bitterly when she kissed Josh goodby, and she made him promise to write to her. She hugged him tightly, so tightly that for a moment little Josh had thought she would not be able to leave him after all.

She had, though. She had left and never come back. At first her letters arrived once a week, and at first Josh replied with childish pleas that she return home. Then her letters came less often, sometimes as far apart as six months, until at last they stopped altogether. Josh had never known whether she had simply stopped writing or whether she had died. By that time, he had convinced himself that he did not care.

And by that time, he had his hands full with the ranch. After his mother's departure, his father gradually withdrew into himself. At first the change was barely perceptible, but after a few years, even young Josh began to notice how little interest his father took in running the ranch. By the time he was sixteen, Josh had virtually taken over, and the other men turned to him for leadership.

It was no wonder, he often thought, that his hair had started turning white when he'd been only eighteen, since by that time he had already been bearing the full responsibilities of a grown man for several years. His father had merely sat back and watched, a glass of whiskey in his hand, until his death three years ago.

In all the years since, Josh had been too busy to think about getting married. Or at least that was what he told himself. The truth was, he simply hadn't wanted to.

Not that he hadn't wanted the comfort a wife could give, of course. And the children; he wanted children. He did want someone to whom he could leave his land, someone who would love it the way he did, to whom it would mean something. But he was not ready to accept the comfort of a bed partner and the promise of children in exchange for the misery he knew a wife could also bring. He'd seen that misery firsthand. No woman was ever going to have the chance to tie Josh Logan up in knots the way his mother had done to his father.

He'd managed to resist plenty of temptations, too. Every marriageable girl within a hundred miles had been paraded before him at one time or another, at parties and dances and church sociables. And everyone knew that Blanche Delano had been dragging her rope for him for years, ever since old Sam Delano had passed on. Josh knew better than to let himself get caught, though. He wasn't about to let some woman get ahold of his heart and then rip it to shreds. He'd lost his mother, the one woman he had loved. No one should have to go through that pain more than once in a lifetime. Josh had no intention of even taking a chance that he might have to.

Felicity was quite a temptation, though. If she stayed here much longer, there was no telling what would happen. He might kiss her again, and the next time he might not be able to stop. There was only one solution. He would get rid of her. He would send her away as soon as possible. Day after tomorrow, in fact, when she'd finished with all her picture' taking. With that decided, Josh put all thoughts of Felicity Storm from his mind and fell asleep.

Near dawn Felicity woke for the last time. She had slept fitfully, tormented by dreams of Mr. Logan and the awful thing that they had done, the thing he had told her did not happen but which she could not forget. As she washed and dressed for the coming day, Felicity tried once more to make some sense out of Mr. Logan's kissing her. She failed.

No wonder her father had warned her so often about men. How easily a girl could get trapped into a situation like that. And how innocently! Felicity had only been seeking comfort, and look what she had gotten. Well, if Mr. Logan wanted to pretend that he had not kissed her, then Felicity would be more than happy to go along with him, especially since she really had no choice, at least for the moment. As long as she was stuck here on this ranch, she would simply continue to treat him exactly as she had before. Except more cautiously, she decided, putting the finishing touches on her hair.

Cookie was preparing breakfast when she slipped into the kitchen a few minutes later, but Felicity found that she was much too excited about the coming day to swallow more than a biscuit and a cup of coffee. The men were not even up when she went to her wagon to begin mixing her chemicals.

Josh was the first man to leave the bunkhouse that morning. Disgusted with the way the others were primping and preening in preparation for having their portraits made, he went on up to the house. There he found Candace waiting for him with his best suit sponged and pressed, and a clean white shirt and collar all laid out. Scorning the finery, he went on into the dining room, determined to see the girl face-to-face. He wanted to get their first confrontation out of the way. The meeting was bound to be awkward, but once it was over with, she would know he was unaffected by her charm and unchanged in his manner toward her. Then life could get back to normal.

But by the time he got to the kitchen, Felicity was long gone. Josh figured she was probably avoiding him. Unless, of course, the kiss had not bothered her. Perhaps she had forgotten all about it. For some reason this possibility was extremely annoying.

Felicity watched the men pouring out of the house after breakfast and hurrying over to where her wagon was parked. Anticipation sparked along her nerve endings. This was the first time she would be making photographs without her father beside her, but as much as she missed him, she also knew a surge of excitement at her newfound independence. If her stomach also quivered when she thought about facing Mr. Logan again, she did not allow herself to admit it. She forced herself not to watch the front door to know the exact moment when he joined them.

"Would some of you men pull my wagon over closer to the pump?" she asked Cody and several others who were the first to arrive.

The men eagerly fell to the task. Felicity had to smile at their amazed reactions when they discovered the weight of the wagon. Apparently they had no idea how much equipment the production of one simple photograph required.

When the wagon was at last in place, Felicity glanced around one last time. Mr. Logan had not yet come out of the house. Did he not want to have his picture made? Or was he simply avoiding her? Uncertain which idea she found more disturbing, Felicity pushed all thoughts of him aside and returned to the task at hand.

She entered the wagon through the rear door, and once again memories of her previous life assailed her-the hours she had spent working frantically in the dark preparing plates for her father, the equal number of hours she had spent developing those plates and then making prints from them. Because of the physical strength required to haul around the huge cameras, few women became photographers unless they had the luxury of a fixed studio from which to operate. Of the few women who did know anything about the "black art," as photography had been nicknamed, most of them had been relegated to the developing room with its monotonous tasks of rinsing and washing and coating and watching.

Felicity had been lucky, though. In addition to teaching her the mechanics of making the pictures, her father had taught her the art, too. Indeed, he had been more than encouraged in this direction by the fact that she had a natural "eye" for a shot, and a way of dealing with people that calmed the most restive adult and stilled the most rambunctious child.

Today she would finally put all her father's teachings to use without his guiding hand. Pausing over the task of unpacking the glass plates from the barrel in which they had been so carefully placed, Felicity sniffed back a threatening tear. It wouldn't do to cry over him. Her father wouldn't have liked it. Any time he had spoken to her about the mother she had lost, he would quote the verse, "Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him."

Felicity knew that her father didn't approve of crying over those who had gone on to their heavenly reward. She should be happy for her father because now, after so many years, he was with the wife whom he had loved and missed so very much. Felicity was being selfish to wish him back. Still, she sent a small, sad smile heavenward and said, "I sure would like to have his help with the camera right now, though."

Just then Cody Wells stuck his head through the open door of the wagon. "Need any help?" he asked.

Jumping a little, Felicity remembered to send up a "thank you" before taking Cody up on his offer.

The camera with its tripod was as tall as Felicity and weighed almost as much, but Cody, accustomed to wrestling several hundred pounds of angry steer, had no trouble at all setting it up exactly where Felicity indicated. Then, with the help of the other men, they hung one of Felicity's backdrops on the barn wall. It was the one that pictured wide-open spaces and cacti in the far distance. While the men marveled at how realistic it looked, Felicity glanced anxiously around again. Still no sign of Mr. Logan. She put a hand over the flutter in her stomach and told herself, not to think about him. Quickly, before she succumbed to the temptation to look for him again, she ducked back into the wagon and closed the door securely to prepare her first plate in the resulting darkness.

After donning the heavy, black India rubber gloves that would protect her hands and putting on a huge rubber apron to cover her new dress, she thoroughly cleaned and polished the first glass plate. Then she poured the prepared mixture of collodion onto the upper left-hand corner of the glass. Balancing the plate carefully on the thumb and forefinger of her left hand with practiced ease, she slowly worked the thick fluid all over the plate until it reached the near right-hand corner.

When the collodion had set long enough to become tacky, she immersed the plate in a bath of silver nitrate to sensitize it. It was the silver nitrate with its capacity for turning a person's skin black that had given photography the nickname the black art, so Felicity was always careful to wear the rubber gloves, just as her father had taught her.

After about five minutes, she slipped the still-wet plate into the plate holder, where it would be protected from light until exposed inside the camera. She pulled off the rubber gloves. Then, juggling the bulky holder, she opened the wagon door and stepped out.

"Who's going to be first?" she asked brightly, slipping easily into the role of managing photographer, the role her father had always played before.

Suddenly all her eager helpers froze into silence and stared stupidly back at her. Felicity bit down hard on her lip to keep from laughing at them. It was always the same. None of them could wait, but none of them wanted to be first, either.

Felicity's ingrained modesty made her hesitate to order the men around, but common sense prevailed. If she didn't tell them what to do, who would? "Cody, step right up and let's show them how it's done," she commanded, sliding the plate holder into the camera. She didn't have time for coaxing. The plate had to be exposed while it was still wet, so she only had at most ten minutes in which to make the picture. "Is that your saddle?" she asked when he made no move to follow her instructions.

"Yeah, but-" he hedged, but Gus interrupted him.

"It sure is. He spent half the night polishing it up, too!" Gus hooted, drawing raucous laughter from the rest of the men.

"Well, put it over here," Felicity ordered, pointing to a spot in front of her backdrop. "Have you got a lariat handy? Here, this one'll do," she decided, snatching one from a nearby cowboy. "Come over here, Cody." Brooking no further argument, she took Cody by the arm and directed him to the proper spot. "Hold the rope like this," she said, placing it into his hands. "Where's that saddle?" While one of the cowboys rushed to move the saddle to the appropriate position, Felicity reached up and adjusted Cody's hat to a rakish angle. Then she showed him how to prop his foot on the saddle and how to hold his hands, before racing back to duck under the black cape to focus the camera on her subject.

Cody was in heaven. Miss Felicity had touched him. More than once, too. To a boy who rarely even had a chance to talk to a girl like Felicity, such contact was intoxicating. He didn't think he'd ever forget the way her little hands felt when they had brushed against his. Just thinking about it made him feel all weak inside.

"Look here at the camera, Cody," Felicity called.

Cody didn't have any problem doing that because that's where she was, too.

"Look tough, Cody," one of the men advised.

"He couldn't look tough if you put a piece of shoe leather over his face," another scoffed.

Cody knew he couldn't look tough as long as he was looking at Miss Felicity anyway, so he didn't try. He looked serious instead.

"That's perfect," Felicity decreed, ducking out from under the black cape again. "Hold perfectly still until I put the lens cap back on. Now ready." She reached up to remove the cap and recited the little verse her father had always used to time exposures because it was exactly ten seconds long. As soon as she had finished, she carefully replaced the lens cap and rushed to pull the plate holder out and return it to the darkness of the wagon.

Once inside, she removed the plate from the holder and applied the developing solution the same way she had applied the collodion. Then she rinsed the plate in clean water-water that would have to be changed frequently during the day, which was why she had asked the men to move her wagon over near the pump. After immersing the plate in a solvent of silver iodide to fix the image, she rinsed it again.

At last she could light a lamp, and she did so, holding the plate over the flame to dry it thoroughly. While the plate was still warm, she coated it with varnish to protect the emulsion until she would have time to make a print from it.

Like all good field photographers, Felicity had developed a sixth sense about being able to judge how good a negative was simply by looking at it. People usually didn't mind having their picture remade on the spot if the first one didn't come out, but if they came back the next day for a print and then discovered they had to have it done over, they got a little testy. Felicity judged that Cody would be more than pleased with his portrait.

As swiftly as possible, she prepared another plate, and when it was safely locked into the holder, she left the wagon again. This time, Cody was waiting right there to carry the heavy wooden contraption for her.

"Where's Cody's picture?" someone demanded.

Felicity always hated to disillusion people. She really should have explained it all to them before she started. "It takes another whole day to make the prints, so I'll only be able to shoot the pictures today. I won't have time to actually develop them."

The groans of disappointment died away when Felicity assured them that Cody had taken an absolutely famous picture and wondered aloud who was going to be next. This time she had no difficulty securing a volunteer. She purposely did not look around. Whether Mr. Logan had come or not, she did not want to know.

Josh had watched everything thus far from the front porch of the ranch house. From a distance, the scene was almost comical, that little slip of a girl ordering around men twice her size and being obeyed with fierce devotion. Josh hadn't found all that much humor in it, though, especially when he saw the way she fussed over posing Cody. And the way Cody was following her around like a lovesick puppy dog.

"Ain't you gonna change your clothes?" Candace inquired from behind him.

Making a sudden decision, Josh turned to her. "I don't need to change my clothes to go to town."

"Town? What are you going to town for?" Candace demanded, outraged that he would even consider such a thing on an important day like this.

"It's Saturday, isn't it? I always go to town on Saturday," he explained reasonably. Besides, he did not intend to sit around the ranch all day watching the spectacle in the yard.

"You were just there day before yesterday," Candace pointed out.

"Yes, but I didn't get any supplies," he said, uneasily aware that his own impulsive trip to town to purchase clothes for the girl was probably the reason Candace had gotten the idea for pairing the two of them up in the first place.

"We don't need any supplies now," Candace said, but Josh was already on his way down the porch steps.

"Hey, Mr. Logan," someone called out. "You gonna be next?"

Felicity's breath caught at the sound of his name, and she turned slowly to face him.

"We're glad you decided to join us," she said, fixing her gaze on the third button of his shirt. She did not trust herself to look into those penetrating gray eyes.

"I'm not joining you. I'm on my way to get the wagon. Cookie, is there anything you need from town?" he said with creditable nonchalance.

Felicity stared at him in dismay. He was leaving! He wasn't even going to have his picture made! All her plans for repaying his kindness were shattered, but worse than that, all her hopes for showing him that his kiss had not affected their relationship were shattered, too. Not only was he avoiding her, he would not even look at her. Fortunately, her pride would not allow her to reveal how much he had hurt her.

Then Felicity recalled that her time was precious. She would not waste a minute of it worrying about Mr. Logan. Resolutely, she returned to the job of posing the cowboy named Gus. But suddenly she was all thumbs. When she adjusted the man's hat, it slid down over his eyes instead. When she propped his shiny Winchester beside his leg, it looked more like a crutch than a deadly firearm. Hastily rearranging the sitting, she forced herself to forget that Mr. Logan was nearby so that she would not completely ruin the shot. While she was mooning over Mr. Logan, her plate was rapidly drying, and she had best remember that.

At long last, the exposure was complete, and Cody helped her remove the plate holder and carried it back to the wagon for her. "Can I help you inside, too?" Cody asked with almost pathetic eagerness.

"There probably isn't room for two inside that wagon."

Josh pointed out sharply. Although he had finished his conversation with Cookie, he had lingered involuntarily to watch Felicity work, and a good thing, too. He didn't like the idea of Cody and Felicity being all alone inside that tiny space, in the dark, not when Cody kept looking at her like she was first prize at the county fair.

Felicity had intended to turn down Cody's offer, but Mr. Logan's obvious disapproval made her reconsider. Last night he had kissed her and then ordered her to forget it had ever happened. Now he was insulting her by leaving the ranch instead of letting her make his picture. To top things off, he wanted to impose his will on her behavior. Just who did he think he was to make her decisions for her? She briefly considered asking him but decided that this was too public a situation for any sort of confrontation. Instead she smiled sweetly at Cody. "It will be a little crowded, but my father and I used to work together all the time. If you'd like to learn how to develop the plates, you could do that while I prepare the next one, and we'd be able to do them a lot faster."

"That'd be great!" Cody exclaimed, and followed her inside.

Josh scowled as the door closed behind them. What was wrong with her anyway? Didn't she have a lick of sense? Didn't that father of hers teach her anything about men? Cody might look young and harmless, but there was nothing harmless about a male on the prowl, and Cody Wells was definitely on the prowl. If anything, what had happened to her last night should have convinced her to be careful, Josh thought acidly.

Aside from a few envious comments, the other men seemed to notice nothing peculiar in the new arrangement, and that irritated Josh even more. Of course, he was the one responsible for her safety, so he was the one who should be most concerned, he rationalized. And he was concerned. He realized now that he never should have let her stay at the ranch this long. The men were bound to start mooning over her, and that would cause no end of trouble. He'd been stupid to think he had to wait for Blanche to get home. He could take her into town. Mrs. Hankins, the storekeeper's wife, or any of the other women in town would take her in. He could make the arrangements today. Yes, that was the solution. He would take her into town first thing in the morning. Then life would get back to normal.

Without waiting for Felicity and Cody to finish their task, Josh left, going into the barn to hitch up the spring wagon. Just as he slapped the team into motion, he caught a glimpse of the girl coming out of the wagon, Cody at her heels. He forced himself to keep going.

Felicity heard the wagon rumble by, but she refused to look up to see if he was watching her. She had more important things to do than to worry about Mr. Joshua Logan.

"Where's Cookie?" Felicity demanded in her no-nonsense-tolerated voice. "He's the one I'm going to do next!"

That, of course, caused quite a reaction, both among the men, who were delighted, and with Cookie, who wasn't really all that sure he wanted to get his picture made at all. Everyone seemed to forget that Mr. Logan had left. Everyone except Felicity.

Josh managed to find a place on the busy street in front of the mercantile in which to squeeze his wagon. The town was bustling with activity from all the ranchers who had made the weekly trek in for supplies and socializing. Taking the steps up to the wooden sidewalk in one bound, Josh strolled into the store.

"Well, hello again, Mr. Logan," Mrs. Hankins called to him as he walked in the door. The storekeeper's wife waved him over to where she stood behind the counter waiting on a customer. When she finished, she turned to Josh. "How did your little houseguest like the clothes?" she inquired cheerfully.

"She liked them fine," Josh said tersely. Mrs. Hankins still believed, as Josh had led her to, that Felicity was a young girl. Somehow if he wanted her to take Felicity in, he would have to disabuse Mrs. Hankins of that notion.

"Did they fit her all right? I was so worried they'd be too big, but they were the smallest things we had ready-made…" Mrs. Hankins rattled on, to Josh's annoyance.

Fortunately, Mr. Hankins came in at that moment and rescued him.

"Yes, what are you going to do with the girl, Josh?" he asked.

Here it was, the perfect opportunity to make his request, but the words refused to come. "I'll take her over to Blanche Delano's in a day or two, when she's up and around," Josh said, wondering even as he spoke why it seemed important to give the impression that Felicity was still an invalid.

"Oh, that's a good idea," Mrs. Hankins confirmed. "Of course, you know Mrs. Delano is still in Dallas, but we expect her back early next week. I reckon by then the poor little thing will be able to travel. What did you say her name was?"

Josh was spared from answering when another customer came in and distracted Mrs. Hankins. He turned to Mr. Hankins. "Here's a few things I need," he said, handing the storekeeper a list. "I'll be back in a few minutes. My wagon is out front." With that, Josh turned and left before Mrs. Hankins could make any further inquiries about his "little houseguest."

When Josh came back about fifteen minutes later, having made a quick tour of the main street of town, he met Mr. Hankins, who was carrying out the last of his supplies. "Thanks," Josh said. "Put it on my account."

"Josh, wait a minute. There's something I need to tell you," Hankins said, stopping Josh just as he was about to mount the wagon seat.

The urgent tone of the man's voice raised the hairs on Josh's neck. Turning warily, Josh braced himself for the first ugly gossip about him and Felicity.

"There was a man in the store yesterday asking about you," Hankins said, pulling a bandana out of his back pocket to wipe his forehead. "A colored man. He wanted to know where your ranch was and how to get out there."

Josh saw nothing ominous in such an event. "Was he looking for a job?" Josh asked.

Hankins's expression remained grim. "I don't think so. Remember I said he was a colored man? He was tall, real tall, even taller than you, and he… he asked about Candace."

"Candace?" Josh echoed, completely puzzled.

"Yes, he wanted to know if Candace still worked for you. He described her and everything. That's what made it stick in my mind, the way he described her as being so tall. It made me look at him close and, by God, if he didn't look like her, too."

Josh considered this. "How old a man was he?"

"I couldn't rightly say. With some folks, it's hard to tell. He had old eyes, if you know what I mean, and silver-gray hair, but he didn't seem all that old."

"He might be some kin to her," Josh said. Back in Virginia, Candace had been owned by the Logan family, who had presented her as a gift to Josh's mother when she married his father. Candace would have had lots of kinfolk back on the old Logan plantation. Since the war had destroyed the plantation, they were now all scattered. One of them must have found his way to Texas. "I reckon he'll show up out at our place soon," Josh said with a smile.

"No, you don't understand, Josh," Hankins said, gripping Josh's arm anxiously. "He wasn't asking nice. He was mean, clear to the bone. It was almost like…" He trailed off uncertainly.

"Like what?"

"Like he wanted to do Candace some harm." The storekeeper shrugged apologetically, realizing his statement was somewhat melodramatic but unwilling to amend it.

"Who would want to hurt Candace?" Josh asked, incredulous.

"I think this fellow might."

Josh could only stare at him. Josh had known Hankins for a long time and he was not easily spooked. "Have you seen this fellow around town today?"

Hankins shook his head. "I think he slept at the livery last night. Maybe you can pick up his trail there."

"Thanks," Josh said, turning toward the livery stable.

"Good luck," Hankins called after him.

Josh spent another hour in town, questioning first the livery stable attendant and then most of the other merchants, but the man had disappeared. Not even the bartender had seen him that day. Defeated, Josh returned to his wagon, having decided he should return to the ranch as soon as possible to tell Candace about the mysterious stranger. Perhaps she would know who he was.

Asa Gordon read over the note he had just written. He did not like the message it contained, but he would have to send it anyway. The news that Felicity Storm had disappeared- yet again-would please no one, least of all his client. Unfortunately, part of his job was filing reports, even when they were unsatifactory.

He folded this report carefully and stuffed it into an envelope.

"Alexander!" he called. A moment later a harried-looking young man came into Asa's office. "Would you see that this is delivered immediately?" he asked, scrawling a name and address on the envelope and then handing it to his secretary.

"Yes, sir," Alexander muttered, carrying the message out of the room.

When the door had closed behind the boy, Asa allowed himself a weary sigh. Papers. Messages. Reports. Meetings. Was that all he had left to look forward to? The thought depressed him.

He glanced out the window at the busy street below, but his mind was far away, in Texas with the elusive Miss Felicity Storm. For a few minutes he envied operative Smythe his opportunity to explore the wilds of Texas on this difficult quest.

Smythe was one of his best men. If Smythe couldn't find her, she simply wasn't there. Asa knew this. Still, he could not ignore his own pride, which reminded him he had once been one of the "best men," too. If he should go to Texas, if he should look for Storm and the girl…

Was there any reason why he shouldn't?

Chapter Four

When she had taken photographs of all the men, Felicity explained that they would have to stop the session for a few hours because the sun was too high. The shadows it cast would spoil the pictures.

Cookie managed to rustle up a cold meal, and soon the men drifted over to the house for dinner. Felicity could not help lingering alone in the yard for just a moment to stare longingly at the empty road one last time. She hated herself for missing him, for feeling hurt at the way he had snubbed her, but she couldn't seem to stop.

"How long do we have to wait?" Cody asked when at last she wandered into the dining room.

"A few hours," she replied, trying to match the other's enthusiasm. "When the sun starts slanting toward the west, it will be just right for photographing the house. I want to get some pictures of all of you in front of it."

This information excited the men all over again, and they began to discuss whether or not to change their clothes. Felicity listened to the conversation with only half an ear. She was straining to catch the sound of a wagon pulling up in the ranch yard.

On the drive out from town, Josh spent a good deal of time considering who this mysterious stranger might be. He figured that the man must be one of Candace's relatives, a brother or uncle if what Hankins had said about the resemblance was correct. What he could not credit, however, was Hankins's theory that the man meant Candace no good. After thinking it over, he realized that a black man, a former slave, traveling alone in Texas would have to be tough in order to survive. Hankins must have mistaken that toughness for evil, bestowing on the man a malevolence he did not possess.

This was the only explanation Josh could find since the very idea that a man would come halfway across the country for some sinister purpose against Candace was preposterous. He would still ask Candace about him, of course. The man might very well have arrived at the ranch already, making such an inquiry unnecessary, but if not, Candace would certainly want to know to expect him.

No longer feeling any urgency about his mission, Josh drove leisurely up to the ranch. He was a little surprised to find the yard deserted when he drove in, but he was pleased to note that the camera was still in position. He quickly surmised from the time that everyone had gone inside to eat. In an effort to distract his mind from thoughts of photographs-and photographers-he reminded himself that he had to see Candace.

Except that he could not find her. Having no other choice, he followed the sound of voices into the dining room.

"Hey, Mr. Logan! You're back!"

"Now Miss Felicity can make your picture!"

The men greeted him boisterously while Felicity tried very diligently not to react at all. She had heard his wagon in the yard, heard every one of his footsteps from the moment he entered the house. She calmly raised her head and looked at him. She would make him no offers. If he wanted his picture taken, he would have to say so.

"I thought you were finished out there," Josh said, stalling.

"Oh no," Cody explained helpfully. "We just had to stop because the sun got too high. We'll be starting up again any time now. We can do you first thing."

Josh knew an inexplicable anger at Cody's use of the word "we," but before he could reply, the very person he had been fruitlessly searching for appeared at his elbow.

"You'll have to change your clothes first, Mr. Josh," Candace ordered.

"I need to talk to you, Candace."

"Course you do," Candace agreed readily, taking his arm and drawing him out of the room. "I'll see he's ready," she called back over her shoulder to Felicity.

Candace did not stop until she had taken Josh into his own bedroom and closed the door. Josh appreciated the privacy.

"There's a man in town-" he began, but Candace wasn't listening.

"I ought to wear you out for what you did," she whispered furiously.

A little taken aback, Josh stared at her. "What did I do?"

"You insulted that poor little girl. She set this whole thing up just to show you how much she appreciates the way you took her in and then you go running off to town like you didn't have anything better to do. You hurt her feelings." Candace glared at him, crossing her arms over her chest.

Josh thought this over and supposed she was right. He hadn't really thought about Felicity's feelings in all of this.

Candace did not give him a chance to defend himself. "Now, you put on them clothes," she said, gesturing to the suit still laid out on the bed, "and get yourself out there and let her take as many pictures of you as she wants." Turning on her heel, she flounced to the door, but before she opened it, she turned back. "And if you're half the man I think you are, you'll apologize, too."

Josh swore as the door slammed behind her, but he wasn't certain if he was swearing at her or at himself. Furiously, he tore off his dusty clothes, all thoughts of the mystery man wiped completely from his mind.

Not quite certain that Mr. Logan would really allow her to photograph him, Felicity still gave her instructions to Cody, who enlisted a few helpers and headed back to the ranch house. While they were gone, she had some of the other men roll up the backdrop she had been using and hang up another one in a new position to take advantage of the altered position of the sun.

Cody and the other men soon returned with the items she had requested from the house, and she directed them on just how to arrange the scene. They put the bearskin rug down first in front of the backdrop and then placed the large wingbacked chair in the center.

Felicity knew she was silly to feel so apprehensive. Mr. Logan was no different from any other man she had ever posed, even if he had kissed her. Still, if he did let her photograph him, she wanted the picture to be the best one she had ever taken. She wanted a good photograph so she would have something to remember him by when…

Not letting herself finish that thought, she forced a bright little smile to her face when she heard the other men greeting him. But her smile froze in place, exactly the way her heart did, at the sight of him.

It was the clothes, she told herself. She'd rarely seen a man so finely dressed. He was wearing a black broadcloth suit that fit his broad shoulders and his long legs perfectly. His shirt was snowy white, and for one electric moment she wondered if it was the same one she had slept in that very first day.

"Come and sit down, Mr. Logan," she said stiffly, gesturing toward the chair.

Josh stepped forward, but he didn't sit immediately. Instead he examined the backdrop she had chosen for him. It looked like the wall in a very fancy house. A parlor house, Josh thought, disgusted.

Felicity studied the stubborn set of his jaw as he examined the backdrop, uncomfortably aware of how tall he was. The top of her head barely reached his shoulder. Last night she'd had to stand on tiptoe to… "Is anything wrong?" she asked hastily, struggling to banish that picture from her brain.

"No," he said, resigned to the inevitable, and seated himself in the chair. She stood in front of him, her small breasts directly in his line of sight. He stared for one long moment, recalling only too clearly how they felt pressed against him.

"Oh, dear!" Felicity cried, pressing a hand to her chest. For a second Josh thought she was trying to shield herself from his lascivious gaze. "I forgot to prepare the plate. Don't move," she cautioned him as she darted back to the wagon.

Inside the dark wagon, Felicity chastened herself for becoming so flustered. She would have to get a grip on herself. With fingers that trembled slightly, she carefully coated the next plate. By the time she exited the wagon and handed the plate holder to Cody, she was feeling much calmer.

She returned to posing her subject, noting with approval that he was wearing a new Stetson, not the stained one he usually wore. She lifted it carefully from his head.

"Hey, What're you doing?" he protested, reaching for it.

"I'm going to put it right here on your knee," she informed him, proud that she was able to treat him just as she had treated all the other men. "Now put your hand right here, like this, and hold it." With finger and thumb, she made a minor adjustment to the angle of his wrist, trying not to notice how warm his skin felt through the cuff of his shirt. He smelled clean and fresh, like outdoors, and faintly of tobacco, and so blessedly familiar. "Now rest your other hand on your other knee," she said a little breathlessly.

He obeyed, but she could tell from his expression that he wasn't very comfortable with the situation, either. Still being very careful not to touch him any more than necessary, she moved his hand slightly, appalled to note her fingers were trembling again.

It was only because he was staring at her, she decided. Yes, that had to be it. Felicity stepped back a pace to examine her handiwork. A lock of silver hair had been dislodged when she removed his hat and had fallen over his forehead. With great care, she reached over to smooth it back in place. She was a little surprised that it was so soft. Somehow she had expected his hair to be coarser, the way her father's gray hair had been. She let her fingertips play over it another second.

She was leaning over so close to him that Josh could, with very little effort, have kissed the tip of her breast. "Ahem." He cleared his throat.

Felicity jumped back, startled. "That looks fine," she said, scurrying back to focus the camera.

"Don't look so mean, boss," she heard Bill Grady say. "Looks like you're mad at somebody."

Josh knew he was mad at somebody, but he didn't like to think about who that somebody was. It would have to be the person who had gotten him mixed up with Miss Felicity Storm in the first place, and he could think of no one to blame for that except himself.

Felicity came out from under the cape. Mr. Grady was right. Mr. Logan looked mad, and she had a pretty good idea at whom. Still, she wasn't about to let him ruin her picture. "Mr. Logan?" she called sweetly.

Josh swung his gaze over to where she was standing looking like the picture of innocence. "What?" he asked warily.

"Would you like some nails?" she inquired.

Josh frowned in puzzlement. "Nails? What for?"

"Why, to chew, of course. That's just what you look mad enough to do," she explained.

A moment of silence followed her announcement, and then the men broke into loud guffaws. Josh needed a minute to realize he had been the butt of a joke. He could not remember the last time anyone had been bold enough to make fun of Joshua Logan. He should have been angry, but the sensation was so novel that he could only marvel at it. Candace was the only person in the world who dared to tease him, and now this tiny slip of a girl was making fun of him.

He knew she was getting a small measure of vengeance for his desertion this morning, but that no longer seemed to matter. He took her in from the top of her golden head to the toes of her shiny black shoes. Small she might be, but she was all woman. He knew that from the kiss that hadn't happened. How would she kiss him if she weren't frightened? A curious smile twitched at his lips.

"That's more like it," she decreed. "Now look right up here! Don't move! Ready?"

Felicity removed the lens cap and recited her little verse, stumbling once she noticed Mr. Logan was looking at her instead of at the camera, but recovering nicely.

Like a man hypnotized, Josh watched the way her soft pink lips formed around the words of the nonsensical rhyme, remembering how those lips tasted. Candace's suggestive words echoed in his mind. Yes, there were several things a sweet young wife could do for him that his mammy never could.

Felicity finished the rhyme, her voice trailing off uncertainly. It was funny the way Mr. Logan's eyes could make her feel hot and cold all at the same time, like she wanted to run away from him and toward him, both at once.

"Better put the cap back on," Cody urged, nudging her slightly.

Startled, she quickly snapped the cap back in place. What had gotten into her to start daydreaming like that? She might have ruined the picture! Hastily, she turned and instructed Cody to remove the plate holder from the camera, but he was already doing so. Feeling more foolish by the moment, she hurried over to the wagon, grateful when Cody followed her so that she could close the door on what she imagined were many pairs of staring eyes.

Actually, only two pairs of eyes were staring. One pair belonged to Josh. The other pair of staring eyes belonged to Candace, who had come outside to watch Joshua having his picture made. She hadn't missed a thing that passed between him and Felicity. She grinned to herself. Much as she would like to, when all was said and done, she would not be able to take any credit for getting Josh and Felicity together. No, Mother Nature could do that, or whoever it was who'd made Josh a man and Felicity a woman.

Inside the wagon, Felicity forced her jumping nerves into obedience again. "If you don't mind, Cody, I want to develop this plate myself," she said, hoping Cody wouldn't ask her why. She wasn't really sure why herself, since Cody had already proven that he could do a perfectly adequate job.

"All right," he said, setting the plate holder down and moving out of her way in the darkness.

"You're doing a fine job, and you can do the rest of them. I just want to do this one myself," she explained.

"I understand," Cody said. He sounded as if he really did, too. Felicity wished that she did.

Because Felicity did both the developing and the preparation of the new plate, the process took a little longer than the routine that she and Cody had established. Josh waited impatiently, resisting with difficulty the urge to bang on the door and demand to know what was keeping them. When they finally did come out, he felt inordinately relieved.

"You've done got everybody's picture now, Miss Felicity. Do you want us to start packing all this stuff up?" Grady asked.

"Oh no," Felicity replied, grateful for this distraction. For some reason she was having a very difficult time keeping her eyes from straying over to where Mr. Logan was standing. "I don't have everyone's picture yet. Where's Candace?"

The men thought this was a terrific idea, and they eagerly dragged her forward and presented her to Felicity. Candace was protesting rather vigorously, but Felicity noticed that she was wearing a gorgeous new calico dress and had her hair wrapped in a matching turban. No woman dressed that carefully just to watch other people get their pictures made. Felicity took great delight in posing her on the same set she had used for Mr. Logan.

"Now I'm going to take group pictures, and some shots of the ranch buildings," Felicity announced when she and Cody emerged from developing Candace's plate. "Could some of you men fetch a bench and put it over there? Cody, I'll need to have the camera moved to right about here," she instructed, using her heel to draw a mark in the dirt.

The men leaped to do her bidding. All except Josh, who could not seem to take his eyes off her. Surrendering to a compulsion to be closer, he moved up behind her and asked, "How'd my picture come out?"

Felicity started and whirled around. "It… it's very nice," she managed, although she felt a trifle breathless.

Josh studied her face. She looked awfully pretty when her cheeks turned pink like that. "How soon do I get to see it?"

"I… I don't know; a couple of days or so…" she murmured.

Josh was so interested in the way the sunlight was gleaming off her golden hair that for a moment her words didn't quite register. "A couple days?" he asked incredulously when they finally had. "Why will it take a couple days?"

Felicity thought she had already explained the procedure, but then recalled that he had not been present. "It takes another whole day to make the prints. They have to sit in the sun for a few hours, and then…" She let her voice trail off in the face of his scowl.

Josh felt a slight sense of unease. He had been counting on getting rid of her tomorrow. "You'll be all finished by tomorrow evening, though, won't you?" he asked, calculating that a few hours one way or the other shouldn't make that much difference.

Felicity's eyes widened in surprise. "I can't do the developing tomorrow," she said.

"Why not?" Josh demanded, feeling his unease growing. It was all some sly female trick. He knew it. She was making this all up just so she would have an excuse to stay longer.

"Because tomorrow is the sabbath," she informed him. "I can't work on Sunday!"

Josh stared at her in disbelief. She was serious! Before he could challenge her statement, however, someone called, "Where did you want this bench, Miss Felicity?" and she strode away to issue some more orders.

It might very well be a sly female trick, but it was a good one, he acknowledged. How could he fault her for being religious? How could he order her to finish up her work tomorrow when it was against her principles? She had him, and she had him good. She would be here another two days. At least.

"I want everyone in this picture," she called out when the bench had been positioned to her satisfaction with the ranch house directly behind it. "Mr. Logan, you sit right here in the middle. Mr. Grady and Cookie, you sit on either side of him. The rest of you line up behind…"

She kept on talking, moving people around so that everyone was lined up by height, and Josh found himself obeying her just the way everyone else did. He had decided it would be foolish to do otherwise.

By the time the sun began to fade, taking with it the last of the necessary light, Felicity was running purely on nervous energy. All day she had felt as she often did during thunderstorms when she and her father were alone on the prairie: scared and fidgety, with every nerve tingling in the electrically charged air. She could have blamed it on the excitement of her first time doing a photography session alone. She could even have blamed it on the heady sensation of being the center of attention for some very attentive cowboys. She knew that neither of those situations was responsible for her state, however. Mr. Logan was responsible.

Even though she had tried to forget about the kiss, had even succeeded in partially distracting herself with the work, there was something about his presence that shimmered in the air like a tangible glow, brightening Felicity's world and sharpening everything to crystal clarity. The timbre of his voice thrummed through her body, tingling places she didn't even have a name for, and making her feel as if she wanted to jump right out of her skin.

Or jump right into his arms.

That was really what made her so nervous, the memory of how wonderful she had felt in his arms, at least until he had frightened her. And the knowledge that she wouldn't mind being there again under the right conditions. Of course, there were no "right conditions." Such behavior was evil and wanton. She would do well to remember that and do what Mr. Logan had commanded and forget it ever happened. Except she couldn't.

So she was only too happy to announce, "I'm afraid this is the last one. I've lost the light," as she closed the lens cap on what seemed to be the umpteenth portrait that day. Back in the wagon, she stood by silently as she allowed Cody to develop the final negative.

He had caught on surprisingly quickly, but then, she reminded herself, she had, too, once upon a time. The job wasn't really difficult, just time-consuming. It was making the plates in the first place that required the skill, spreading the collodion evenly so that no bubbles or bumps would appear in the final pictures and so the plate could evenly absorb the exposure. Shooting the pictures themselves also required skill and an eye for what would look good in a photograph. The making of the final prints required yet another level of skill, to judge the length of time required to develop the proper tones.

"Miss Felicity?" Cody asked.

"Yes?"

"Do you think… I mean… could you teach me how to make pictures? How to do the plates and all the rest of it?"

The wagon was too dark to see his face, but Felicity could imagine the eagerness that would be lighting his eyes. She hated to have to turn him down.

"I can show you how to make the prints, and I'd be glad to show you the rest of it, too, except…" Her voice trailed off wistfully as she experienced a sharp jab of disappointment.

"Except what?" he urged.

Felicity sighed. "Except that I won't be around here much longer to teach you anything." There, she had said it, and it sounded even worse than she could have imagined.

"Where are you going?" he asked, genuine concern in his voice.

"I… I don't know," she admitted reluctantly.

She heard Cody turn to face her in the confines of the wagon. "What do you mean, you don't know?" he asked.

"I mean, I haven't decided yet," she amended, trying to soften the impact of her words, as much for her own benefit as for Cody's. "Mr. Logan has told me I can't stay here and-"

"I know. He told me that, too," Cody said. "But surely you'll settle someplace nearby."

"Like I said, I haven't decided yet," she said, feeling all the hopelessness of her situation.

"Don't you worry none," Cody comforted her. "Mr. Logan'll see that you're taken care of."

"Thank you, Cody," she said, grateful for his concern but uncertain whether she was grateful that Mr. Logan would be taking care of her. She found the idea quite disturbing.

Josh stood outside, leaning up against a live oak tree and smoking a cigarette. He was watching the wagon, waiting for Felicity-and Cody-to come out. The other men were busy carrying the props from the photographs back where they had come from, but Josh was only vaguely aware of their movements at the corner of his range of vision. All his attention was focused on the wagon. All his thoughts were focused on the occupant of the wagon.

So she was going to be around for a while, he thought, knowing that the fact should disturb him but only mildly surprised to find he was rapidly getting used to the idea. She really was a pretty little thing. And she could cook. And although he hadn't kissed another woman in quite a while, he could not remember ever enjoying it more. Felicity. Even her name had a pleasant sound about it.

Candace had been watching the direction of Josh's gaze and finally strolled over to where the rancher was standing. "What do you suppose is taking them so long?" she asked casually.

Josh frowned. He had been wondering the same thing himself. He threw down his cigarette and ground it out with his boot heel. Then he strode purposefully over to the wagon.

Just as he reached it, though, the door came open, and Felicity stepped out. "All we have left to do is put the camera away…" She completely forgot what she was saying when her gaze met Mr. Logan's. "Is something wrong?" she asked, certain that there must be from the look on his face.

Cody ducked out the wagon door behind her and reared back at the sight of Mr. Logan's expression.

Josh looked at her and then at Cody and then back at her again, comforted by how innocent they both looked. If Cody had designs on the girl, he was moving very slowly. Josh forced his tensed muscles to relax and managed a reassuring smile. "No, nothing's wrong. I was just coming over to see if you were about finished."

"Almost," Felicity murmured, a little nonplussed by the sight of his smile. "We just have to…" His eyes narrowed, making her lose her train of thought again.

Cody watched the exchange in fascination, knowing that neither of them was even aware of his continued presence. "I'll get the camera," he offered, but they paid him no mind.

"Hey, Cody," Gus called from across the yard. "We're all going into town tonight. You coming?"

It was Saturday night. They always went to town on Saturday night. Cody considered his options. "No," he called back. "I'm broke. I'll just stay here." And see what happens, he added silently.

Josh thought it surely must be time for bed. He was certain the four of them had been sitting in the parlor for hours. Unfortunately, when he glanced at the clock on the mantel, he saw that barely an hour had passed since supper.

He looked around the room. Candace was sitting off in the corner, quietly sewing and looking very smug about something. Josh shifted in his chair, the same chair that Felicity had photographed him in earlier that day. He let his gaze wander over to where Felicity and Cody were sitting on the settee.

The two of them were deep in conversation, Cody's brown head bent over her golden one, an expression of intense interest on his boyish face. Of course there would be, Josh thought acidly. The boy had every reason to be intensely interested. But he doubted that Cody was really all that concerned about photography, which was ostensibly the topic under discussion. Nobody was that interested in photography. The boy had Felicity fooled, though. She was explaining it all to him with an earnestness that indicated she was afraid he might just keel over and die if he didn't fully understand the process.

Felicity tried not to notice that Mr. Logan was staring at her. Again. He'd been watching her on and off all evening, as if he expected her to do something untoward. Earlier, after she and Cody had packed everything away for the night, she had gone into the house and washed up in preparation for supper. When she got to the dining room, the two men were there waiting, and she experienced the oddest sensation that they were waiting there for something special to happen. Nothing did, however, or at least nothing that she was aware of, and the meal passed in strained silence. With all the other men except Cody gone to town, she had nothing to distract her from the fact that Mr. Logan kept glancing up at her throughout the entire meal. It was very unsettling.

After she had helped Candace clean up the few dishes, she discovered Mr. Logan and Cody sitting in the parlor, looking every bit like two dogs about to quarrel over the same bone. But as soon as she entered the room, the two of them suddenly cheered right up and started acting as if they'd always been the best of friends. Mr. Logan even teased Cody a little about becoming a photographer himself. That was what had gotten the conversation started, and Felicity had been only too happy to begin his instruction. Talking to Cody kept her mind off the fact that Mr. Logan kept watching her.

Josh knew it was crazy, but he couldn't seem to help himself. He kept remembering what Candace had said about a wife. A sweet young wife. He could not seem to get the idea out of his head. Almost unconsciously, he compared Felicity to the other women who had been thrown in his way through the years. None were even half as pretty as Felicity. And none of them kissed like her, either. No wonder he had never seriously considered marriage before.

A vision of Felicity the way she had looked that first morning, wearing only his shirt and standing silhouetted in front of the window, flickered across his memory with tantalizing clarity. For one long moment he imagined what might have happened if he had come up behind her and slipped his arms around her. He vividly remembered how she felt in his arms, soft and warm and round in all the right places. Josh shifted in his chair again, wondering why the room had suddenly grown so warm.

His gaze drifted over to the couple on the settee again. Cody was obviously smitten, and Josh recalled how the boy had mentioned marriage only last night. Would Cody really have the nerve to propose to her? And if he did, would she accept? Cody was good-looking enough but awfully immature, although Felicity might not notice that, since they were probably about the same age. Cody didn't have anything to offer her, either. As a cowboy he only earned thirty dollars a month and didn't even have a room of his own. Josh had it all over Cody when it came to that. He was a successful rancher with a fine home-hadn't Felicity said that very thing with her own lips? He could give her things she'd never had, things much fancier than gingham or calico dresses.

He wouldn't make the mistake his father had made, though. He wouldn't fall in love with her. That was what tore a man's guts out, whether the woman stayed or not. Josh would never trust his heart to any female ever again, not after what his mother had done. A woman could make a man's life hell. He recalled only too clearly his father's trials with his mother and how she had finally deserted them both for her family back East.

But Felicity didn't have a family back East, or anywhere else, for that matter. She would have no place to run away to, no one to shelter her except him. And she wasn't a bit like his mother anyway. His mother had known another kind of life, an easier life, far from the frontier, but Felicity knew only hardship and poverty. What Josh could offer her would be the most luxury she had ever known. Why would she ever want to leave it? Or him?

The longer Josh considered the idea, the more appealing it became. A wife, just what he'd been needing-although he might not have realized it until now. A woman to share his bed. And children to keep his ranch alive. Felicity was a perfect candidate to provide him with both. She'd be so grateful to him, she couldn't possibly want to leave. And she was so pretty, he knew he'd never mind having her around.

In fact, just the thought of having her in his bed, to do with as he pleased, made his mouth go dry. Even her name, Felicity, had a soothing sound, suggesting quiet nights and peaceful days. Josh almost sighed aloud.

Putting her sewing aside, Candace got up from her chair in the corner. She came slowly across the room to the hearth, picked up the poker, and prodded encouragingly at the fire. Then she turned to Josh, whose chair was nearby. She gave him a long, considering look. When she had his full attention, she lifted her elegant eyebrows and inquired softly, "Are you gonna let him steal her right out from under your nose?"

Josh briefly considered telling Candace exactly where she could go to mind her own damn business, but he didn't bother. First of all, she probably believed that Josh was her business. Secondly, he had just asked himself that very same question.

"No, I'm not," he informed her, and turned his determined gaze back to the couple on the settee.

Felicity was gritting her teeth. Just who did he think he was to sit there staring at them like that, as if they were doing something indecent? Even poor Cody had finally noticed and was squirming under the intense scrutiny of those gray eyes. She had a notion to ask Mr. Logan if he saw her petticoat showing or something, but she was afraid such delicate sarcasm might be wasted on him. For a long moment she indulged herself by imagining what else she might have said if she hadn't been a lady.

"It's getting late, Cody," Josh said at last. "You better hit the hay."

Cody wanted to protest that it wasn't late at all,, but something in Mr. Logan's expression stopped him. Cody couldn't imagine what had gotten into the man. Earlier, Cody had suspected his boss of being attracted to the girl, but he certainly showed no sign of it now. In fact, he'd never seen Mr. Logan looking so disagreeable. "Yeah, I reckon I better," he said, only too glad to escape Mr.

Logan's scrutiny.

Felicity breathed a sigh of relief. Soon she would be alone, away from those condemning gray eyes. As Cody rose, she rose, too, and wished him a good night. Then she turned to Mr. Logan, prepared to see him leaving, too, but he wasn't. He was just sitting there. Staring. She gritted her teeth again. Now what was he up to?

Seeking support, she glanced over to the corner where Candace had been sitting but found her chair empty. How long had the woman been gone? Felicity could not remember anything past the time Candace got up to poke the fire. Had Mr. Logan told her to leave? Had he planned for them to be alone? He was certainly doing his best to get rid of Cody.

What was he going to do? Was he going to try to kiss her again? And if he did, what should she do? Felicity swallowed with effort as she realized the question really was what would she do? She knew instinctively he would not force himself on her. If she struggled, he'd let her go as he had before. If she screamed, Candace could hear her out in her little cabin behind the house or Cody would come running from the bunkhouse. The problem was, she didn't think she wanted to scream or struggle or resist at all. Panic welled up in her, stretching her nerves taut until they seemed to hum in her ears.

Josh studied her face, easily reading her anxiety. That would work in his favor. Of course, he didn't plan to propose or anything, not just yet. He'd feel her out on the subject a little first, see what her initial reaction was to the idea. If she was too eager, he'd back off, knowing she only had designs on the wealth and security marriage to him would bring.

He briefly considered the possibility that she might refuse him completely, but then dismissed it. What other choice did she have, after all? She needed wealth and security. He could give her what she had never had: a home. That seemed more than a reasonable exchange for what she would give him in return.

When Cody had gone, Felicity remained standing for a long moment, hoping against hope that Mr. Logan would take the hint and leave, too. But he didn't, so then she thought about simply going off to bed herself, except she felt uncomfortable at the idea of going to her bedroom with him watching her. He wasn't going to leave, that much was certain, she realized at last.

Resignedly, she seated herself on the settee once again, smoothing her skirts perhaps a little more than absolutely necessary. "I think you'll be very pleased with the photographs I took today," she said to break the uncomfortable silence.

Well, that was as good a subject as any, Josh decided, playing along. "I'm sure I will," he replied. "You seem to know quite a bit about photography."

"My father was a good teacher," she said, sadness clouding the blue of her eyes for a moment.

Josh hadn't intended to dredge up unpleasant memories, but on the other hand, it was a perfect opening. "Have you given any more thought to where you're going to go and what you're going to do?" he asked with what he hoped was appropriate concern.

Felicity eyed him warily, not quite trusting his concern. "There really isn't all that much to think about, is there? I mean, I don't know anyone except you…" Mortified, Felicity stared at him, feeling the heat burning her cheeks. She hadn't meant to say that. Now he would think… What would he think?

Josh watched the gingham tighten briefly over her breasts and then forced his gaze back to her reddening face. A little disturbed over her response, he narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Was it possible she was not as innocent as she appeared? Could she have set this whole thing up to trap him? "You know that you can't stay here," he said, testing her.

"Oh yes," she quickly agreed, eager to correct the impression she had given.

"Truth to tell, the fact that you've been here several days already, unchaperoned, looks pretty bad," he continued, leaning back in his chair to watch the effect of his words.

Felicity's eyes widened. She had not considered this possibility. Of course, no one around here knew her, so she really had no reputation to tarnish. But if she stayed in the area, this could ruin her. "I… I didn't realize…"

Josh relaxed. She seemed genuinely upset. If she had designs on him, she would now be demanding that he give her the protection of his name. Instead, she was shocked by the magnitude of her problem. All he had to do was solve it for her. "There is one way you could stay here and everything would be completely proper," he remarked.

"What?" she asked absently, preoccupied with her predicament.

"If you were a married woman, living here with your husband, then nobody would think twice about it," Josh pointed out reasonably, liking the way he had phrased it, making it sound as if he might have been marrying her off to anyone except himself.

Felicity stared at him in complete surprise. To whom was he planning to marry her off? He couldn't possibly think she was interested in any of the men. Or maybe he did. He might think she liked Cody more than a little from the way she had let the boy help her today. That would explain why Mr. Logan had been watching them so closely all evening. For some reason she did not fully understand, she did not want Mr. Logan to think she liked Cody. "But there's nobody on the ranch I want to marry," she explained quickly, knowing even as she spoke that it was a lie. There was one man she would consider, but of course, he would never…

"There isn't?" Josh asked. Either she was a very good actress or else she had really not considered the possibility of marrying him. The thought should have pleased him, but it did not. Perversely, he felt annoyed. "What about me?" he demanded.

Felicity stared at him in surprise. He was teasing her. He had to be. This was all some great, ugly joke. Unfortunately,

Felicity did not feel like laughing. "Don't be silly," she said faintly.

Josh stood up, slowly and deliberately. "Why is it silly?" he asked, placing his hands on his hips in silent challenge. This wasn't at all the reaction he had expected from her. She didn't even seem to consider him a viable candidate.

If he could see himself at this moment, Felicity thought, he wouldn't even need to ask why the idea was ridiculous. Standing there like a conquering general in the midst of his fine home, a bearskin rug (which he no doubt had bagged himself) stretched out at his feet, his silver hair gleaming in the firelight and his handsome face twisted into a frown, he was just about the last man on earth whom anyone would pair up with little Felicity Storm. She didn't want to say all that, though. Casting about in her mind, she came up with a more practical-sounding reason. "Well, you're a little old for me."

"Old?" he repeated, completely puzzled and not even certain he had understood her correctly. How could she possibly think he was too old for her? There couldn't be more than ten years difference in their ages, and on the frontier even a difference of twenty years or more wasn't considered excessive. For a moment he thought she must be grasping at straws, but one look at those guileless blue eyes convinced him otherwise. Her objection was perfectly sincere. Another, very unsettling, thought occurred to him. "Just how old do you think I am?" he inquired.

Felicity thought this an odd question and certainly one she was loath to answer. No one liked to have his age guessed incorrectly, as Felicity knew from bitter personal experience, and she had no definite concept of his age. But she also knew that he was going to insist on an answer. She studied his face. He wasn't as old as her father had been, because he didn't have nearly as many wrinkles, but she also knew he must be pretty close to her father's age because of his white hair. She swallowed and ventured, "Forty?"

"FORTY!" Josh shouted, making her jump. "I'm TWENTY-EIGHT," he informed her, taking what she interpreted as a threatening step toward her.

Felicity sprang to her feet in instinctive self-defense and said, "Oh." She couldn't think of anything else.

"What made you think I was forty?" he demanded, feeling more affronted than he knew he should.

She made a vague gesture toward his head. "Your hair…" she said feebly, trembling in an agony of embarrassment. She should have known better than to respond to such a question in the first place. Now she had made him angry.

"All the men in my family go gray at an early age," he explained, forcing himself to sound calm again. If he wasn't careful, she would soon be cowering, and who could blame her? He had no excuse for hollering at her. She had made an honest mistake, and from the look on her face, she honestly regretted it.

"I… I'm sorry," she murmured, "I didn't know…"

Of course she didn't, Josh reminded himself. She was awfully young. Anyone with white hair must seem quite old to her. Although he was still a little disgruntled, Josh managed to conceal it. In a perfectly reasonable voice, he asked, "Do you have any other objections to me, now that you know I'm not too old?"

This time Felicity couldn't prevent her mouth from falling open. He actually looked as if her answer mattered to him, and mattered a great deal. She was having a time of it, what with having to completely readjust her opinion of him in light of the fact that he was no longer old enough to be her father. On top of that, he wanted her to all of a sudden come up with any objections she might have to him as a possible husband. The whole situation was more than a little overwhelming. "Mr. Logan, you can't be serious!" she protested, certain that he wasn't.

"Why not?" he asked, taking another step toward her. At least she didn't flinch this time.

Felicity wanted to stamp her foot in frustration. This conversation couldn't really be happening. She must be having a nightmare. "Mr. Logan, you can't possibly want to marry me," she said, sure that in doing so, she would bring him to his senses and make him stop asking her such outlandish questions.

Josh watched her azure eyes cloud over and knew that she really believed that. "What makes you so sure I can't possibly want to marry you?" he asked, almost as concerned as he was curious. That lovely face hid nothing of her emotions. He knew she wasn't just being coy with him.

Felicity shook her head in wonder. Didn't he have any idea of the gulf that separated them? "I'm a penniless orphan, a nobody," she explained patiently, "and you, you're Josh Logan." She made a gesture with her hand to indicate the scope of her statement, that not only was he Josh Logan, the man, but he was Josh Logan, the rancher. If that didn't convince him of the differences between them, nothing would.

Josh frowned in disapproval. "I'm not exactly a prince, you know. I can still marry anyone I want to. She doesn't have to be royalty, for God's sake."

"You shouldn't use the Lord's name in vain, Mr. Logan," she murmured in an attempt to distract him while she busily considered something else entirely. At some point, the focus of this conversation had shifted. In the beginning, he had been suggesting that she marry someone else. Now he was insulted because she didn't want to marry him. In fact, he seemed determined to convince her that she should marry him. Why would he do that, unless… An incredible thought occurred to her. "Mr. Logan, are you… did you… I mean, you couldn't have…"

"What?" he urged impatiently.

Felicity swallowed hard and forced the question past her reluctant throat. "You aren't trying to say that you've fallen in love with me, are you?" Saying it aloud made her feel even more a fool than thinking it had, but it was the only explanation that might justify his strange behavior. That would certainly explain why he had kissed her. What she didn't want to admit, even to herself, was how very appealing the idea was.

Josh frowned. That was a woman for you. All they could think about was love. It would be easy to tell her that yes, he had fallen madly in love with her and couldn't live without her. Then she would get all mushy and touched and would probably agree to marry him just to put him out of his misery. Josh would never tell a lie like that, though. He had no intention of falling in love with her, now or at any time in the future. Neither did he want her to think she had that sort of hold on him. "Well, no," he admitted, "but I don't think that's so very important…"

"Well, I do!" Felicity cut in, unaccountably stung and unreasonably disappointed. "Do you want to spend the rest of your life with someone you don't love? I certainly don't!"

The fact that she didn't love him either should not have surprised him, but somehow it did anyway. It was a remarkably unpleasant surprise, too. Josh found himself fighting a bitter disappointment and struggled to regain control of the situation. How could his plans have gone so far awry? He had thought that her desperate need for a home was more than strong enough to compel her to accept his proposal, but apparently he had been mistaken.

Her words echoed back to him in challenge, however, especially the words "the rest of your life." She considered marriage a lifetime commitment. He liked that, and he already knew she was everything he wanted in a wife. He'd be a fool to let her go. If reason could not convince her, if she demanded emotions, he could stir her emotions. Recalling the way she had surrendered, however briefly, to his kiss, he knew that with a few more kisses, he could make her think that she was in love with him. That love would be just one more link in the chain that bound her to him.

Felicity was regretting her hasty words. She had been so careful not to rile Mr. Logan up until now, and a good thing, too, judging from the strange look on his face. When he reached for her, she knew a moment of sheer panic. "Don't!" she protested in the instant before she realized his true intent. By the time she did realize it, she was unable to say anything.

His mouth came down on hers with determined force, not roughly but with a power she could not have denied, even if she had wanted to. For a moment she felt awkward, staring up at him with her eyes so close to his face. The feel of his mouth on hers was more alarming than exciting, but then he pulled her to him and her eyes closed of their own volition. Left in darkness, her body remembered their first kiss. She tuned in to other sensations, the hardness of his chest beneath the hands she had raised instinctively to ward him off, the strength of the arms embracing her, the gentleness of the hands caressing her back.

His lips shifted against hers, demanding a response. Without meaning to, she was suddenly kissing him back. Her hands slipped up and over his shoulders until she was clinging to him. Her breath came quickly, filling her senses with his musky, masculine scent and making her weak with some nameless longing. When he ended the kiss, she knew a deep regret.

Josh lifted his face a fraction of an inch from hers to draw a rasping breath. "Oh, Lissy," he whispered in wonder, instinctively reverting to the nickname she had revealed to him the first time he had ever held her. She was like warm honey in his arms, all liquid sweetness. When her eyes flickered open, he knew she was slightly dazed and hadn't a clue as to what he was doing to her.

She started to say something, but when her pink lips parted, he swooped down on them again. Taking advantage, he slipped his tongue inside, teasing first the sensitive skin inside her lips before plunging past her teeth to taste of her essence. Her startled gasp told him that he was the first to ever do so. He vowed he would also be the last.

Felicity knew what Mr. Logan was doing was wicked, but she didn't care. She should have pushed him away and slapped his face, as any properly brought-up young lady would have. She should have at least struggled free as she had before. Instead her hands were clutching at his shirt as if she would never let him go. In truth, she didn't think she ever wanted to.

She did try to push his tongue out of her mouth with her own, but she failed miserably. Instead of ending the peculiar invasion, she only encouraged it. As her tongue tangled with his in a moist duel, he groaned, pulling her closer still, until her breasts flattened against his chest and she could feel his heart pounding against her own. Someone made a funny sound, almost like a moan, but she could not have said which one of them it was.

His mouth left hers then, allowing her to breathe just in time. One more second of his passionate assault and she would have fainted dead away, but before she could fully form the thought, she was distracted by another assault. Tender lips trailed across her cheek to caress the delicate shell of her ear, exploring curves and hollows and sending delicious shivers coursing down the length of her body. Long fingers tangled in her hair, urging her head back to allow him access to the silken length of her throat, access she granted willingly. This time she knew the moan came from her own throat as she voiced her disappointment that the modest neckline of her dress barred him from other parts of her that ached for his touch.

Strong hands clutched at her hips, molding her to him, lifting her on tiptoe into the cradle of his thighs. He breathed her name again, calling her "Lissy," the name that those who loved her most always called her. Something inside of her began to melt.

The next thing she knew, the bearskin rug was against her back and he was looming over her. His hand was on her breast, where she knew it shouldn't be, but when she tried to push it away, he kissed her, drowning all her protests in a tide of new sensation. This time, when his mouth left hers, her body was pliant and yielding. She was only slightly shocked when his lips encountered no cloth barriers as they moved down the column of her throat. Cool air touched her chest, and she vaguely realized that he had unbuttoned her bodice. But when his breath warmed her, she no longer minded.

One strong arm cradled her while the other caressed. His large hand cupped first one tiny breast and then the other, slipping beneath the sheer fabric of her chemise to gently coax them. Instinctively, she arched into his touch, even while some distant voice of reason sounded a warning. This was wrong, even more wrong than his strange kisses had been. Feebly, with the last ounce of her free will, she pushed his hand away. He did not resist, but before she could register her victory, his mouth replaced his hand, capturing one pouting nipple in moist warmth.

Felicity gasped as the twinge started by his lips raced downward and spasmed between her legs. The melting that had begun earlier finished now, seeping out to dew the insides of her thighs. "No," she whispered, even as she buried her fingers in his silver hair to hold him to her.

The word was no more than a puff of sound, as quickly forgotten as uttered. She strained against his mouth, offering herself more fully to him. He suckled gently, teasing and tormenting first one pink tip and then the other until she was writhing with want.

She could no longer hear that warning voice. The blood pounding in her ears had drowned it out. The only sounds now were his rasping breath scorching against her tingling flesh and her own tiny cries of need. When his hand found her knee underneath the tangle of her skirts, she did not think it odd for him to be touching her like that. Instead she moved under his hand, inviting his caress and encouraging his further invasion.

Josh ran his hand up her thigh, touching at last the slender curves he had remembered so many times. He had only intended to kiss her a few times, but somehow a few kisses were simply not enough. The fragrance of her skin was like an opiate, singing in his blood, and like a true addict, he craved more. Much more. She fairly purred as he stroked her, snapping his tenuous hold on reason. His unfulfilled need became a searing agony, a descent into the dark pit of loneliness and despair. Only she could save him. He had to have her. He had to have her completely.

Felicity moaned a protest when he withdrew, but then he was holding her in a new way, lifting her, the way he had that very first day, except this time his mouth was on hers. She clung to him shamelessly. Then he was laying her down again, on something soft and cool. Her eyes flew open and she caught a glimpse of yellow curtains. They were in her bedroom. On her bed!

This was wrong, so very wrong, and she pulled her mouth from his. "No, don't," she said frantically.

But his hand was on her breast, stroking so gently. "I won't hurt you, Lissy," he said.

He kissed her again, and she believed him. The kisses went on and on, drugging her, robbing her of reason and will until she once again lay pliant in his arms, lost in a world of sensation as his lips explored her body. She gasped when he trailed his fingers over the sensitive skin of her inner thigh to cup her center through the barrier of her pantalettes. She tensed at this most intimate intrusion, but she had no will to stop him.

When his fingers found the fastening of her drawers and then slipped inside to stroke the quivering skin beneath, her breath caught on a strangled sob. When his fingers slipped lower to tangle in the nest of curls that cloaked her womanhood, she stiffened in protest. He shouldn't be touching her there. No one should ever touch her there. It was wrong, wrong, wrong. Her body didn't seem to know that, though, and even as her mind screamed objections, her hips lifted to his touch. She cried out in surprise when he found her most sensitive spot. "Please, don't," she begged, but he paid her no mind, probably because her traitorous hands were clutching at him much too eagerly.

As his fingers stroked, Felicity's world faded, narrowing down until even he disappeared and only she existed in a place warm and wonderful. Strange colors danced behind her eyelids as the melting in her loins spread living flame throughout her entire body. The flame grew hotter and then hotter still, stoked by the man she could no longer see but whose hands she mindlessly obeyed.

She took his weight willingly, clutching him to her. The pain was swift, but even more swiftly forgotten. She was going to die, she knew she was. She was going to burst into flames and die, but even if they were the fires of hell, she could no longer resist them. With a strangled cry, she surrendered herself, falling headlong into the conflagration.

As one emerging from a dream, Felicity returned slowly to the real world. Spasms still shook her, but they were fainter now, and not the earthquakes they had been. At last they died away, leaving her weak and boneless. The weight that was crushing her shifted and someone groaned, startling her out of her fog.

When her eyes flew open, she saw that she was lying on the bed in the yellow room. Her bed. Summoning all her courage, she turned her head slightly to the right and found him lying beside her. He, too, looked as if he had experienced a cataclysm. His body trembled slightly, and he lay with one arm thrown across his eyes. His breath came in gasps.

Suddenly she realized her state of undress, the shameful way she was lying, completely exposed. The horror of what she had done, of what she had let him do, closed in around her, and she cringed away from him. A small sound of anguish escaped her as she turned from him and hastily, with fingers that shook in the aftermath of passion, jerked her skirt down and began to refasten her bodice.

"Are you all right?" Josh asked with concern, instantly recognizing the irony of the question. He himself was far from all right. Something had happened to him, something more than just the satisfying physical release he had craved so urgently. For the first time in his life he felt vulnerable, as if his soul had been scraped bare and lay open to attack.

It must be guilt, he told himself, guilt over the way he had seduced her and stolen her innocence when she was under his protection. Yes, the guilt was certainly a part of it, but that did not completely explain the debilitating weakness that seemed ready to suck, leechlike, on his heart.

In self-defense, he swiftly adjusted his own clothes and pushed himself up to a sitting position. She had not replied to his question, but he could see from the way her slight body trembled that she was as unstrung as he. Of course, he realized, she would be even more unstrung since she had been a virgin. Obviously, she had not even guessed he shared her anguish over what had happened. And she would not guess it, he decided, forcing aside his guilt and the other feelings he did not understand. He might have seduced her, but he had no intention of abandoning her. He would make things right.

The need to conceal his churning emotions made his voice gruffer than it might otherwise have been. "Now will you marry me?"

"What do you mean, you lost her?" Richard Winthrop demanded of the man behind the desk.

Asa Gordon shuffled through the papers on his desk with one beefy hand and, finding the one he wanted, glanced up at Winthrop. "According to the report, our operative found a traveling photographer answering Storm's description," he explained tonelessly. "The man had a daughter named Felicity. Our operative was very discreet. He had his picture made and engaged the girl in conversation. Unfortunately, our operative must have alerted the old man in some way, because when he went back to pick up his photograph, they were gone. From what he could gather, they left sometime in the night and no one knows exactly where they went. The operative has, as yet, been unable to pick up their trail."

Richard Winthrop's handsome face grew dull red as he absorbed this information, and he straightened the vest of his tailor-made suit in an impatient gesture. "I would have thought you'd put a competent man on this case, Gordon," he sneered.

Asa Gordon had been a Pinkerton detective for the better part of fifteen years, and he had extensive practice at concealing his true emotions. He used every bit of his training now to hide his contempt for Richard Winthrop. "Smythe is one of our best men," he said calmly, looking down his nose at the smaller man seated across the desk from him.

"My uncle will be very displeased to hear this report," Winthrop informed him. "As you may know, Uncle Henry is a personal friend of Allan Pinkerton. I could have your job for this!"

Gordon raised his eyebrows in mock amazement. "If you want my job, you're welcome to it, Winthrop, but somehow I can't see you as a detective," he said, ignoring Winthrop's outraged gasp. "You may inform your uncle that I will be going to Texas myself to follow up on this case. Storm and the girl have been found and lost too many times now for my peace of mind."

"If you're expecting a bonus for service above and beyond the call of duty, you'll be disappointed, Gordon," Winthrop said, rising regally to his full five feet five inches and enjoying the rare opportunity of actually looking down at Gordon, who still sat behind the desk. "Uncle Henry has already spent a fortune on this search. I won't authorize anything extra."

Asa Gordon grinned expansively. "Pinkerton men aren't allowed to accept bonuses, Mr. Winthrop," he replied with exaggerated civility.

"Well, I never…" Winthrop blustered, but he quickly recovered his dignity. "I will inform my uncle, but as I said, he will not be pleased."

Winthrop turned on one well-shod heel and moved with practiced grace toward the door, snatching his derby hat from the hat rack on his way out.

"Oh, and Winthrop?" Gordon called after him. When Winthrop turned warily back, Gordon added, "Give Henry my best, will you?"

Asa winced at the way the glass in his office door rattled when Winthrop slammed it behind him, but he was still smiling. Irritating Richard Winthrop was only part of what was making him so cheerful. The other part was the thought of traveling to Texas.

Gordon had spent some time there during the war, working undercover as a Union spy under Allan Pinkerton's direction. Although his stay had been brief, he could still remember the vast unsettled regions and knew a longing to once more see the sky uninterrupted from horizon to horizon.

He hauled himself up out of his desk chair and glanced with jaded eye out the window at the carriages manuevering in the street below. How long since he had slept under the stars or ridden a horse simply for the joy of it? Too long, he decided, absently rubbing the slight paunch he had developed during the last year. At first he had been pleased to be appointed superintendent of the Philadelphia office. The promotion meant a raise in salary and an end to the shadowy, unsettled life of a detective. Unfortunately, it also meant an end to the excitement. Instead of capturing criminals and gathering evidence and solving crimes, he had to deal with men like Richard Winthrop.

Gordon ran a hand through his curly brown hair and sighed. He would explain to Mr. Pinkerton that he was taking this case as a personal favor to an old friend and leaving the office in the very capable hands of his assistant for a while. Then, if he found Texas to be a disappointment, he could come back with no problem. But Asa Gordon had a feeling Texas would not be a disappointment.

He would find Felicity Storm and her father, and with any luck at all, he would find something for himself as well. He would soon be forty years old. He did not plan to get much older without finding that something else.

Chapter Five

"Now will you marry me?" Josh repeated when he received no answer.

Neither of them even realized that until this moment he had not previously asked her.

Felicity blinked furiously against the tears that threatened to choke her. She should be grateful that he still wanted to. Her father had warned her often enough that men didn't marry women who let them have their way without it. She didn't feel very grateful, though. "I'll have to, won't I?" she replied, steeling herself to meet his gaze and turning abruptly to face him. "I'm going to have a baby now, aren't I?"

She was certain of it. Her father had told her that, too, about how women who let men have their way got babies. What he hadn't told her was how good it would feel. No wonder some women were led astray so easily, she thought wildly.

Josh stared at her in dumb amazement. "A baby?" he repeated as if he had never heard the word before. This was a complication he had not even considered. He ran a hand over his face as if to wipe away the last vestige of the sensual spell that lingered over them. A baby, of all the things to think of. "You are probably not going to have a baby," he explained with elaborate patience.

"Probably!" Felicity echoed in dismay. She was shaking now, much as she had shaken with chills after the flood, except that now she was not cold.

"And if you are, it won't matter… if we're married," Josh concluded, knowing he had discovered the final link in the chain. She must marry him. He could not let her go, not now that he knew marriage to Felicity Storm would be everything he could ever want. Seeing the terror in her eyes, he reached for her, wanting only to comfort, but she dodged his hands and scrambled off the bed.

Felicity wrapped her arms around herself, desperately trying to still her tremors. He had seduced her. She knew that's what it was called, except something was wrong. Men who seduced women did so because they didn't want to marry them, not because they did. The thoughts collided in her brain, confusing her so she could not make sense of anything. All the desperate emotions she felt coalesced into white-hot anger. She watched him rise from the bed through a haze of fury.

"You seduced me!" she accused.

Josh paused in the act of tucking in his shirttail. He frowned as he considered her charge. "Seduction" suggested previous planning. What he had done was entirely too spontaneous to be termed seduction. "Not exactly," he tried to explain, taking a step toward her.

"Yes, exactly!" she cried, almost hysterical now. To escape him, she scurried backward, away from the rumpled yellow bed and on out into the parlor, where she felt safer. "You did… that-"she gestured toward the bedroom, backing away as he followed her-"so… so…" The truth dawned with crystal clarity even as she spoke the words. "So I would have to marry you!" she said, her voice hoarse with horror.

Struck by the irony of the situation, Josh paused in the bedroom doorway. Women were usually the ones who used sex to trap a man into marriage, not the other way around. He might have smiled if Felicity had not looked so appalled.

"That's not usually considered an evil motive," he tried, but the delicate sarcasm went right past her. "Look, calm down," he urged, feeling more and more like a cad with every passing minute. Damn, she was shaking like a leaf. "Sit down before you fall down," he said, coming toward her. Ignoring the way she cringed from his touch, he forced her onto the settee.

Felicity winced as her bottom struck the cushions, acutely aware of a new tenderness in her body. Before she could even begin to consider the significance of this tenderness, he was pressing a glass into her hands.

"Here, drink this," he ordered.

Felicity accepted the glass with trembling fingers and sniffed it suspiciously. "Is this whiskey?" she asked in an outraged whisper.

"Brandy," Josh corrected impatiently. "And don't look at me like that. I'm not trying to get you drunk. It's a little late for that anyway, don't you think?"

Felicity flushed scarlet at the implication of his words and lowered her eyes with shame. Of course he did not need to get her drunk. She had already surrendered to him in every way possible when she was cold sober.

"Drink it!" Josh ordered again, pressing the glass to her lips.

Past resistance, Felicity obeyed, gasping and choking as the liquor scalded her throat. Almost instantly, the warmth from the brandy seeped into her bones. After another few minutes, her shaking began to ease.

Josh took the empty glass from her and set it aside. Resisting the urge to take her in his arms, he very carefully sat down beside her. "Are you all right now?" he asked quietly, hoping to calm her with his manner.

Felicity knew she would never be all right again, but she was better, at least. She nodded.

"You never did answer my question," he said, no longer able to ignore how small and defenseless she looked with her dress rumpled and her golden hair coming loose around her shoulders. If any other man had done this to her, Josh would have killed him instantly. The knowledge stunned him. Guilt clawed at his soul again, baring emotions he had thought long dead, emotions horrible in their intensity. For a moment he actually winced in physical pain.

No! a silent voice shrieked in his mind, protesting the insidious weakness he knew would destroy him. How could he feel this way? Forcing himself to think rationally, he quickly rationalized. Of course. It was so obvious. He cared for her. She was, after all, a sweet, lovely, spirited, intelligent, very desirable young woman. He had chosen her to be his wife. Of course he cared what happened to her, felt her pain, and bore the guilt for having caused it. But he also had the power to heal that hurt. And he would.

"If you marry me, you'll have a good home and someone to take care of you," he said, his voice ragged with his tormenting emotions. "You'd never want for anything again." The need to protect her was almost a tangible presence in the room. He waited tensely for her reply.

Felicity raised her head and looked at him. The liquor made her a little lightheaded, as if all of this were happening to someone else and she was only an observer. His logical arguments made little impression on her benumbed brain, but she understood their essence. If she married him, she would be safe. But would that be enough? She didn't know, and thinking about it only made her want to cry. She shuddered slightly and drew a shaky breath. "Yes, I'll marry you, Mr. Logan," she said, knowing she really had no other choice.

She looked so… so shattered. The memory of how he had hoped to win her devotion with a few fevered kisses tortured him. How could he have been such a fool? And how could he have let things get so far out of control? He had never meant to force her… But he had to admit that he had, indeed, meant to somehow force her into accepting him. Now he knew that a victory on those terms was hardly a victory at all. Could he make her understand how much he regretted what had happened? Could he erase that haunted expression from her eyes? "Look, what I did…"-he gestured vaguely toward the bedroom-"I didn't mean…"

"You didn't mean!" Felicity cried in despair, jumping to her feet.

"I didn't want it to happen," he corrected, rising swiftly to face her. "But when you didn't stop me…" Seeing the stricken look in her eyes, he stopped, instantly aware that he had said exactly the wrong thing.

Felicity stared at him in total humiliation. He hadn't really wanted her, but when she did not scream or fight him off… Overwhelmed with shame, she turned, following her instinct to flee, but he caught her and hauled her back against his chest. Knowing she should fear him, and hate him, still she could not resist the comfort of his arms. Unable to fight him, she surrendered to his embrace and began to sob uncontrollably, overwhelmed by the conflicting emotions that wracked her. When her feet left the floor, she no longer even cared where he was taking her or why.

Feeling helpless and completely reprehensible, Josh carried her to the big chair and sat down in it, cradling her in his lap to offer her what comfort he could. Not knowing how to make amends for his blunder, his many blunders, he remained silent, rocking her gently while every one of her tears seemed to scald his heart. After what seemed a very long time, her sobs gentled to weeping, and then even that stopped. Still he held her close, savoring the warmth of her body and the sweet, womanly fragrance of her hair. Regardless of whether it was right or not, she was his now. He pressed her to his heart possessively, but she stiffened in protest, startling him. "Felicity?" he asked softly.

Felicity knew she should never have accepted the comfort of his arms, not after he told her he had not wanted her, had not meant to make love to her. Love. How ironic. He had also said he did not love her, even before he had taken her to bed. "Do you have a handkerchief?" she asked into his shirtfront, knowing she must stop dwelling on her humiliation and save what was left of her pride.

He shifted while he dug into a pocket. He handed the white cloth to her. Averting her head so he would not see her tear-ravaged face, she wiped her eyes and discreetly blew her nose.

"Are you all right now?" Josh asked, more than willing to pull her back into his arms, regardless of her answer.

Felicity was getting extremely tired of that question, but she nodded again, still not meeting his eyes. She sat up stiffly, acutely conscious of the fact that she was on his lap. How wonderful it had felt to be held, and how she longed for the haven of his arms again. For a moment she had almost been able to forget her shame and remember only the sweet ecstasy she had found in his embrace. But that, of course, had been only an illusion, destroyed now by her humiliation.

"I think we should get married right away," he was saying, having decided that this was the best way to reassure her. "I was thinking we could do it next Saturday. That will give us a week to get things ready."

Felicity didn't know whether the sinking feeling she experienced was relief or dread that he still wanted to marry her, but she didn't have the energy to examine it. "That sounds fine," she said numbly.

Josh knew a sudden and very profound feeling of relief. She had accepted him. For a moment there, he had thought she might refuse. He knew it would have been no more than he deserved. "Then it's settled," he agreed as a strange sense of peace engulfed him.

Felicity heard the change in his voice and finally lifted her head to see his expression. She was a little startled to discover that he looked exactly the same as always. She wondered vaguely if she did, too, or if people would know, simply from looking at her, that she was a fallen woman. Except she would not be a fallen woman. She would be a wife, his wife, although why he wanted her as his wife, she could not begin to guess.

Wife. The word echoed in her mind. She was going to be his wife. The thought made her slightly panicky. She knew nothing about being a wife or running a house or anything else that would be required of her. Her panic grew when she managed to focus on what he was saying.

"… find the circuit preacher and round up the neighbors. A week should be long enough to take care of everything. You'll need a dress, too. We can go to town on Monday to get you some dress goods. Candace will help you make it."

"You want to have a big, fancy wedding?" she asked, her eyes wide. She had pictured something very private, in keeping with the shame she felt about the whole thing.

"We can't have any hole-in-the-corner affair. People would talk," Josh pointed out, knowing that they were going to talk anyway when they learned Josh Logan was marrying a girl he'd found out on the range and had known only two days. Not that he cared, of course, not for himself, but he wanted to protect her as much as he could.

"All right," she agreed reluctantly, already imagining the ordeal of standing up in front of a lot of strangers as Josh Logan's bride. They would all be looking at her, examining her as if she were some prize horse up for auction, and speculating on her background and possibly even her morals. And then they would wonder why a man like Josh Logan had ever picked a nobody like her for his wife. She cringed inwardly.

"Good," Josh said with forced heartiness, unable to understand her lack of enthusiasm. She should have at least been relieved. Or grateful. "I'll send somebody out tomorrow to find the preacher, and if he can come, we'll invite everybody around. We'll roast a steer and even have dancing…"

Felicity tried to listen to his plans but was distracted when his arm tightened possessively around her waist, sending little shivers of reawakening desire coursing through her. Resisting the urge to surrender, to allow herself to be drawn back into the intoxicating circle of his embrace, she resolutely pushed herself away. She would give him no more reason to think her "easy."

His hands lingered on her waist for a moment, but then he let her go. She stood up and stepped away from him, still trembling a little and grateful for some distance between them. She found it difficult to think straight when she was close to him. She tried once more to concentrate on what he was saying.

Josh, however, had run out of things to say. He stopped talking to study her reaction. She didn't seem too happy about the whole thing, but that would probably be asking an awful lot under the circumstances. He should be satisfied that she had agreed at all. He hadn't intended to frighten her into it, and he would endure the guilt for that for a long time, but he'd make it up to her, and everything would be all right. Once they were married, once she was sharing his bed, things would be fine.

That thought stirred memories of their earlier encounter. Josh felt desire building in him again. Unfortunately, he did not think Felicity would be quite so willing a second time. And Candace wasn't likely to leave them alone much longer, considering the lateness of the hour. Regretfully, he said, "I reckon I'd better say good night."

Felicity nodded, once again confused by her feelings. She longed to be alone to sort out the thoughts that churned in her brain, but she felt uneasy about letting Mr. Logan out of her sight. What if he changed his mind about marrying her while he was gone? What would she do then?

Watching her face, Josh easily read her uncertainty. He had been debating whether or not to kiss her good night, and this convinced him. He would reassure her without overwhelming her. It should be easy enough.

Felicity's heart was thudding dangerously against her ribs as he approached. What was he going to do? Would he take her again? Trembling with mingled anticipation and dread, she tilted her head backward as he approached. The gray of his eyes had darkened almost to black.

"Good night, Lissy," he whispered, and gently touched his mouth to hers. Or at least that was what he had intended. One touch from her was not enough, not nearly enough. The next thing he knew, he was holding her close, tasting all she had to give. One last remaining spark of sanity flickered to life just in time, however, and saved him from carrying her off once more to the big bed he knew was waiting for them in the other room. Reluctantly, he pulled away from her and drew a ragged breath, pleased to note that she was as moved by the kiss as he. "A week seems like a long time to wait," he murmured.

Felicity thought so, too.

Felicity went weak when she saw Mr. Logan's expression. His eyes seemed to burn into her, as if he were looking into her very soul. Quite against her will, she reached out to touch his face and was mildly surprised to find the paper cool beneath her fingertips.

Still she winced as she stared at the photograph. Had he really looked at her like that, as if he wanted to ravish her, in front of everyone? No wonder no one had expressed surprise to learn that he intended to marry her. And no wonder he had done that shameful thing to her.

And no wonder she had let him, she thought with despair. Just holding his photograph was enough to set her nerves to jumping and cause that odd ache in the pit of her stomach, the ache she had felt every time she had seen or even thought about him during the past two, very long days.

Sunday had not been too bad. She had managed to hide in her room for most of the morning, pretending to read her Bible. When Candace finally rousted her out, having heard the news of the coming marriage from Mr. Logan, the rest of the men were already back from town. Everyone was so excited over the wedding plans that she and Mr. Logan had not been alone for even a minute all day.

Felicity's mirror showed her that she looked no different than before, and if anyone suspected what had happened to her, they gave no indication. Even Candace did not seem to notice any change in her. Everyone treated her with the respect due her as Mr. Logan's intended bride.

Everyone except Mr. Logan. On Sunday evening, just as she had been enjoying a measure of relief that the day had gone so well, Mr. Logan informed her that he was taking her to town first thing in the morning to do her wedding shopping. Felicity reminded him, ever so politely, that she had promised to develop the photographs for the men on Monday, so she could not go. Mr. Logan seemed to think he deserved first call on her time. He was reluctant to believe she intended to keep her promise to the men. While they had not exactly quarreled, Felicity knew he was far from pleased.

His displeasure grew as she and Cody worked side by side on Monday, locking the negatives and the albumen-coated paper into the developing trays and waiting for time and sunlight to produce the prints. Mr. Logan had grudgingly assigned Cody's line-riding duties to another cowboy so Cody would be free to assist Felicity in the work. Cody's help had been invaluable to her. Not only did he carry around the heavy trays, but he quickly learned to judge when a print was adequately developed. Felicity couldn't help thinking that if she married Cody, the two of them could make a good living practicing the black art.

But she didn't want to marry Cody. She only wanted to marry Mr. Logan. Oddly enough, she still could not think of him as anything except "Mr. Logan," in spite of what had happened between them. Or maybe because of it. She wasn't too clear on that point. She only knew that whenever they were together, her feelings frightened her. But she still wanted to see him.

Or at least she had until last night. After all the furor over the photographs had died down and the men went back to the bunkhouse to admire themselves, Mr. Logan and Felicity were alone for the first time since the night he proposed to her. Felicity tried to distract him by showing him the pictures again, but he seemed far more interested in looking at her. And touching her. And kissing her.

"Stop it!" she had exclaimed finally, jumping up from where he had cornered her on the settee.

"Stop what?" he demanded in exasperation.

"You know 'what'!" she informed him furiously, carefully backing up until she was out of his reach. "You won't trick me again."

"Trick you!" he said, standing as if to come after her. "I have no intention of tricking' you. We're engaged. It's perfectly proper for me to kiss you."

"Not with me, it isn't," she lied. She began to back away from him, but he was too quick for her. He caught her easily.

Just the touch of his hands weakened her resistance, but she was determined not to surrender to him again. If she had nothing left in this world, she had her pride. She would fight to keep what was left of it intact. When his face came down to hers, she turned her head away and struggled frantically until he released her, thrusting her away from him angrily.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he asked.

"Your language, Mr. Logan!" she remonstrated, trembling with reaction.

"And stop calling me 'Mr. Logan,' damn it," he replied, daring her to correct him again. "There's no reason why I can't kiss you. We're getting married in a few days."

"We're not married yet," Felicity pointed out, knowing he wanted to do far more than kiss her and understanding that if she allowed the kisses, she would allow the rest only too willingly.

Judging from his irritation, he understood that, too. He reached for her again, but she dodged him, stepping behind the settee, where she felt safer. "I think you'd better leave now," she had said.

After another angry exchange that Felicity could not even bring herself to remember, he had left, slamming the door behind him. She had been certain that he would call off the wedding and send her packing at first light. Instead he had come to the house that morning and informed her they would be going to town. He did not look very pleased with her, but he still seemed determined to go through with his wedding plans. Felicity knew she should have been grateful, especially after she had made him so angry, but for some reason, she only felt angry herself. Perversely, she determined to continue calling him "Mr. Logan," knowing how that annoyed him.

She heard his voice out in the ranch yard as he instructed one of the men to hitch up the wagon. He would be coming for her soon. Swiftly, she put the picture she had been staring at on the bottom of the pile of photographs and tucked them all into the cigar box Candace had given her.

Josh paused on the porch to finish his cigarette before going in to fetch Felicity. He was still nursing his anger like a sore tooth, even though he knew she had been right to refuse him. As she had reminded him, they weren't married yet. He would not be entitled to marital privileges for several more days. Although he had to respect her wishes, that didn't make it any easier to sleep at night, not when he kept dreaming about making love to her, and waking up in a cold sweat.

At least the men weren't teasing him the way they would have teased one of their own who was planning to marry. In fact, their reaction had been surprisingly subdued. They seemed awed at the very thought. Even Cody, whom Josh had informed first thing the next morning, before the other men returned, had reacted differently than Josh expected.

Far from being jealous, the boy was thrilled. His first remark had been, "Now she can stay here and teach me all about photography!" So much for Josh's theory that Cody was in love with Felicity himself.

And Candace. The woman was a caution. Nobody could have acted more surprised at the news. She'd even had the nerve to ask him, with great concern, whether he shouldn't ought to get to know the girl a little better before he took her to wife. As if she hadn't planned the whole thing herself. As if she wasn't just delighted at the prospect of supervising his wedding. As if she hadn't already knitted booties for his first child.

Yes, everything had been pretty peaceful so far. Now, like a fool, he was going to take Felicity to town and parade her in front of the townsfolk. Every tongue within a hundred miles would be wagging about Josh Logan and his "child" bride. Normally, such a prospect would have annoyed him beyond reason, but he found himself smiling at the thought. The joke would be on them. Josh knew his child bride was all woman.

His smile widened as he remembered the fire in those blue eyes when she had sent him packing last night. As frustrating as her refusal had been for him, he could not help admiring her spirit. She was quite a little handful. Desire stirred in him, hot and swift. She might not be willing to go to bed with him again before they were married, but that didn't mean he had to quit pestering her about it. In fact, the thought of pestering her held a lot of appeal. She was awfully cute when she was angry. Even though he didn't think for a minute he could change her mind, the prospect of a little tussle over the matter was appealing. Yes, very appealing, he decided, tossing aside his cigarette.

He had turned to enter the house when Gus called from the yard. "Mr. Logan! We got company!"

Josh looked back, easily spotting the buggy that was rapidly approaching the ranch. Josh swore, briefly and succinctly. "Now what the hell does she want?" he muttered.

Felicity checked her hair one last time and smoothed down the skirt of her blue calico, but she waited in vain for Mr. Logan to come through the front door. He had been standing on the front porch for an awfully long time. Felicity was about to go open the door anyway when she heard a wagon rattling up outside. A female voice called out, "Hello, the house!"

A visitor! A female visitor! Paying a morning call! Suddenly aware of her questionable position in the household, Felicity wondered frantically what on earth she should do. Should she hide or should she welcome the woman as if she were the hostess? Felicity had never entertained company in her whole life and did not have the faintest idea where to begin.

"It's just that Delano woman," Candace sniffed, glancing disdainfully out the front window. Felicity had not even noticed that Candace was in the room.

"What should I do?" Felicity asked, perilously close to panic.

Candace seemed startled by the question, but she took in Felicity's predicament in an instant. "I expect you'd better let her in, for starters. I'll make some tea, and in a few minutes you can come get it. Ask her to set down. Knowing Blanche Delano, you won't have to worry too much about making conversation." With those instructions, Candace slipped quietly away, leaving Felicity with nothing to do but open the front door. She was instantly sorry that she did.

"What's all this I hear about you getting married, Joshua, and to some little girl that you found out on the range during a thunderstorm?" Felicity heard the woman say.

Felicity hardly had a chance to feel insulted, however. She was too shocked by the sight of Blanche Delano. Her visitor was tall, although not nearly as tall as Candace, but she seemed much larger because of the fullness of her figure. A tightly laced corset thrust forward her magnificent bosom to accentuate the slenderness of her waist, which gave way to fashionably full hips made fuller still by an elaborately draped bustle. But what made Felicity's eyes widen was the fact that the whole stunning package was clothed completely in purple. Royal purple, the brightest purple Felicity had ever seen, yards and yards of crisp, crackling purple taffeta. And when the woman lifted her skirt to execute the steps, Felicity saw that her well-turned ankles were encased in purple stockings embroidered with hundreds of bunches of tiny grapes.

Forcing herself to look at Mrs. Delano's face, Felicity found herself even more intimidated. She saw milk-white skin contrasting vividly with gleaming ebony hair piled high in a cascade of curls. On top of the curls sat a ridiculous confection of a hat which exactly matched the gown and sported ostrich plumes so long they swooped down to brush against Mrs. Delano's fantastic breasts. Lively green eyes stared out of her round face, and too red lips formed a winning smile.

Felicity's photographer's eye told her that Blanche Delano was not a beauty, was not even conventionally pretty, but Felicity doubted anyone would ever even notice that deficiency. Most people would have judged her to be gorgeous.

Green eyes took in Felicity from head to toe. "My lands, is this her?" Mrs. Delano asked in patent disbelief. Her radiant smile flickered and died. For a moment the two women simply stared at each other across the threshold.

Never, in all her years of feeling insignificant, had Felicity felt more so. Compared to this woman, she was a mere shadow, a pale imitation of a woman. She wanted nothing more than to run away and hide where no one would ever see her again. Only her fierce pride kept her rooted to the spot, her chin high, her expression unintentionally defiant.

After a long, uncomfortable silence, Blanche Delano turned to Josh, who had accompanied her up to the door.

"Well, she's a beauty, Joshua. I'll have to give you credit for good taste. But can she talk?"

Long accustomed to Blanche's outspoken behavior, Josh calmly introduced them. "Felicity, this is our neighbor, Mrs. Blanche Delano. Blanche, this is Miss Felicity Storm."

"How do you do?" Felicity heard herself mumble, convinced that this whole episode must be some sort of a dream. Not only was this the most magnificent woman Felicity had ever met, but she had just said that Felicity was a beauty. None of this could possibly be real.

Mrs. Delano's smile glittered to life again. "Why, I'm fit as a fiddle, although you look as if you could use a little more meat on your bones. Hasn't Joshua been feeding you?"

Felicity could think of no response to such an outrageous question, so she simply said, "Won't you come in?" Since Mrs. Delano was already in, having surged by while Felicity was gathering her voice, she added, "And please sit down."

Felicity watched in amazement as Mrs. Delano made a little ceremony out of seating herself on the settee and artfully arranging her quantities of skirt. By the time she had settled herself enough to have removed her orchid-colored gloves, Felicity was itching to go for her camera. The woman was posed perfectly!

"Gome sit here, honey," she commanded Felicity, patting the space beside her with one perfectly kept hand. "I want to look at you."

I want to look at you, too, Felicity thought, but of course she didn't say it out loud. She took the offered seat instead.

Candace had been right, Felicity realized. Mrs. Delano was going to take care of the conversation.

"I could hardly believe my ears," she was saying. "I was no sooner off the stage than folks started telling me all about how Josh Logan had found himself a girl at last and was going to marry her on Saturday. I declare, Joshua, I can't hardly leave you alone for a minute! That'll teach me to go running off to Dallas." She paused as if expecting Josh to make some comment, but he only glared at her from the wingbacked chair where he had seated himself.

Undaunted, Blanche turned back to Felicity. "Where on earth did you come from, Miss Storm?"

Uncertain exactly how to answer such a question, Felicity hesitated a moment. "Everywhere, I guess you could say," she began, prepared to stop in case Mrs. Delano launched into another subject, but surprisingly, the woman simply waited, listening intently.

"My father was a traveling photographer, you see, and we moved around a lot. He… he passed away a few weeks ago, leaving me alone and lost. I wandered onto Mr. Logan's property and he found me." Felicity amazed herself with the way she had mentioned her father's death with no unseemly display of emotion.

Once again Mrs. Delano surprised her by not replying for several seconds. She sat very still, watching Felicity, studying the girl's expression as if listening to the words she had not spoken and reading from her face all the tragic details of her story. At last she nodded slowly, as if she had reached some sort of decision about Felicity. "And what's all this about a thunderstorm?"

Felicity opened her mouth to reply, but Josh interrupted her. "It started raining while we were bringing her back to the ranch. That's all there was to it," he said brusquely, effectively blocking any mention of the flash flood or his heroism. Felicity would have liked to tell Mrs. Delano the story. Perhaps she would at some other time.

Mrs. Delano smiled slyly, as if she knew a private joke. "How delightfully romantic," she remarked to no one in particular. "Practically love at first sight. I never would have guessed you could be so impulsive, Joshua." She ignored his scowl. "And is the wedding really going to be on Saturday?"

Felicity sat silent in an agony of embarrassment over Mrs. Delano's mention of the word "love." Mr. Logan had made it perfectly clear he did not love her, and she had the oddest feeling that Mrs. Delano knew it, too, regardless of what she said. After a long, awkward moment, Felicity realized no one had responded to Mrs. Delano's question. "Yes, the wedding is Saturday," she said quickly. "We'd be honored if you and Mr. Delano would attend."

Mrs. Delano's eyebrows rose. "Oh, my Sam would love to come. He always enjoyed a good wedding. Unfortunately, he's dead and gone these three years and more."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Felicity said hastily, suddenly realizing this was the "widow woman" Mr. Logan had spoken of. Now that she thought of it, she even recalled the name, although it had meant nothing to her at the time. For a second she reflected on how differently things might have turned out if Mrs. Delano had been at home last week to take her in.

"I'm sorry, too," Mrs. Delano was saying. "I still miss him. Of course, I hope to be lucky enough to marry again." She east Mr. Logan a meaningful look. "Or at least, I thought I would. But now…"

Felicity easily caught her meaning. The woman had intended to marry Mr. Logan! Felicity hazarded a glance at him. Plainly, he understood her meaning, too. He was furious, although Felicity did not want to guess why he was so angry. Perhaps this was the first he knew of her willingness. Perhaps now that he had seen the two women together, he regretted his choice. Felicity could not imagine why any man would want her if he could have a woman like Mrs. Delano.

Pain clenched at her heart, a pain she recognized as jealousy even though she had never experienced the emotion before. She knew a second urge to flee from this woman, and this time she thought of a legitimate reason to leave. "Would you like some tea?" she asked, recalling that Candace was already making it.

"I'd love some," Mrs. Delano replied cheerfully.

With all the dignity she could muster, Felicity rose and left the room. She was barely out of sight when she heard Mrs. Delano addressing Mr. Logan.

"You know, Joshua, I always wondered why you never tried to bed me."

"Blanche!" Mr. Logan's voice sounded outraged. Felicity froze in stunned surprise, knowing she should not eavesdrop, but unable to resist the temptation to hear the rest of this astounding conversation.

"Don't sound so shocked," Mrs. Delano chided him. "You knew I'd say yes, too, but you never asked. I've always wondered why, and now that I've seen your intended bride, I know. I'm too much woman for you, aren't I?"

Mr. Logan said something Felicity did not catch, and Mrs. Delano laughed delightedly. "Oh, I don't mean physically. That way I think we'd be a perfect match. I mean I'm too independent for you. You've been waiting for a woman you thought you could control, a meek little thing you could keep under your thumb, haven't you? Don't bother to deny it," she added when he started to reply.

Stung by this description of her, Felicity turned instinctively to face her adversary and was startled to find that adversary looking right at her. From where she sat, Mrs. Delano could still see her plainly. The woman had been well aware that Felicity was overhearing this conversation. In fact, Felicity instantly realized, Mrs. Delano had staged it for her benefit. Green eyes twinkled wickedly at her for a second before turning back to Mr. Logan, who was sitting out of Felicity's range of vision.

"Hasn't anybody ever told you to mind your own business?" Mr. Logan inquired sarcastically.

"Yes, but I never paid them any mind," Mrs. Delano countered. "I just think it's funny how you took one look at little Miss Storm and judged her that way. I think you may have a few surprises coming."

Felicity stared at her. Now, how could she know a thing like that about someone she'd met less than five minutes ago?

Felicity wondered. Before she could come up with a satisfactory answer, she heard Mrs. Delano say, "I think I'll go help Miss Storm with the tea."

Not wanting Mr. Logan to get up and see her still standing there, listening, Felicity hurried off toward the kitchen, knowing Mrs. Delano would be right behind her.

Candace glanced up from putting the finishing touches on the tea tray when Felicity came through the kitchen door. Candace's normally placid expression changed quickly to astonishment when she saw the expression on Felicity's face. "What's wrong?" When Felicity did not reply immediately, Candace's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What's that woman been saying to you?"

Before Felicity could warn her, "that woman" appeared in the doorway.

"Well, Candace, you won," Mrs. Delano said quite blandly, gliding grandly into the kitchen like a clipper ship at full sail.

"Won?" Candace repeated, immediately assuming the attitude of puzzled but respectful servant.

"Yes, you won," Mrs. Delano said, giving her a disapproving look, "and don't give me that 'dumb darky' act." She turned to where Felicity stood watching the exchange. "When my husband died, everybody-including me-thought that Joshua and I would someday get together. It makes sense," she explained with an elegant gesture of her white hand. "We're about the same age, our ranches are close together, I'm a handsome woman, or at least some folks think I am." She shrugged modestly. "But Candace didn't like me. All this time I thought that's why he never came around."

"I couldn't of stopped him if he'd wanted to, Mrs. Delano," Candace said in her normally dignified tone.

Mrs. Delano shrugged again. "I guess I always knew that, but a woman likes to think she's irresistible."

"Mrs. Delano…" Felicity began, not certain what to say but knowing she needed to stop this conversation.

"Call me Blanche, honey," Blanche said with a friendly smile. "And don't be embarrassed. I figured you'd hear a lot of talk about Josh and me, sooner or later. Just wanted you to know that it's only talk." She grinned wickedly. "Unfortunately!"

"He's not the right man for you," Candace said by way of comfort. "You two would've drove each other crazy in a week."

Blanche gave Felicity a conspiratorial wink. "She's probably right," she confided. "But Candace, if you ever find a man who is right for me, let me know."

"Yes, ma'am," Candace replied with mock subservience, making Mrs. Delano laugh again.

"The tea is ready," Felicity pointed out, more than a little overwhelmed by these two strong-willed women and eager to move the conversation back onto a more acceptable topic.

"Let's just sit right down here and drink it, then," Blanche said, pulling out a chair from the kitchen table. "I sent Joshua off so we could have a private little chat. There's a few things you need to know that I doubt even Candace had the nerve to tell you."

Felicity felt her face heating up as she poured tea from the painted china pot which looked so out of place in the huge, rough kitchen… Would Mrs. Delano presume to give her instructions about the intimate aspects of marriage? she wondered, handing the widow a delicate china cupful of tea. Or could she tell that Felicity no longer needed such instructions?

"Have you heard the story about Joshua's mother?" Blanche inquired, noting the color in the girl's cheeks but unable to guess at the reason for it.

"No," Felicity replied, glancing at Candace, who was frowning in disapproval.

"It's Mr. Josh's place to tell her about it," Candace said.

"Nonsense," Blanche contradicted cheerfully. "He never speaks of his mother at all. If we wait on him to do it, this poor girl will go to her grave curious."

Torn between her loyalty to Candace and her desire to know more about her future husband, Felicity hesitated a moment, but only a moment. "I would like to hear the story," she said, taking a seat opposite Mrs. Delano.

"Well, Candace probably knows a whole lot more about this than I do, so you can get the details from her later. By the time I got here, the fascinating Mrs. Gideon Logan was long gone, but I've heard the story often enough. Seems she and Gideon Logan were acquainted back in Virginia, where both their families had plantations. He was a bit older than she was, but he convinced her to marry him and run off to Texas, where he was going to make his fortune. He was the second son and not likely to inherit much of anything from the family fortune. She lasted here for a while, long enough to have Joshua at least, but she just couldn't stand life on the frontier. Things were a lot more primitive back then, what with the Indians on the rampage half the time and all that."

"One day she up and left and never came back. About broke Mr. Gideon's heart from what I heard tell, and ruined Joshua for good. He don't trust women. Never has, and who can blame him? I only figured it out today, but the reason he's never married was because he never met a woman he was sure he could keep. And then he found you." Blanche considered Felicity thoughtfully.

"Mrs. Delano, I don't think we should be discussing Mr. Logan like this," Felicity said, too confused at the moment to judge whether these theories about her future husband were true or not, and increasingly uncomfortable under the other woman's scrutiny.

"I told you, call me Blanche," Blanche replied, undaunted.

"Blanche," Felicity corrected coldly, "we should not be discussing Mr. Logan this way."

Blanche grinned in approval. "Like I said, Joshua's in for some surprises. Don't you think so, Candace?" she inquired, her green eyes twinkling.

"He'll have his hands full, all right," Candace agreed.

Felicity rose defensively, not certain whether the two women were making sport of her or not. "Really, Mrs. Delano," she began.

"Oh, I'm sorry I offended you, honey," Blanche said, reaching across the table to catch Felicity's hand. "My manners aren't what they should be, I'm afraid. I don't spend much time with ladies, so I get a little rough around the edges. I didn't mean to offend you." She smiled apologetically.

Although Felicity was still not certain whether she could trust this woman, she accepted the apology and sat back down.

"What plans do you have for the wedding?" Blanche asked primly, only the twinkle in her eyes betraying her true character.

"Mr. Logan has invited everyone in the county, I'm afraid," Felicity reported unhappily. "We're going to roast a steer and have dancing and-"

"Sounds like quite a wingding. I'm a little jealous. When Sam and me got hitched, it was just us and the preacher." She patted Felicity's hand comfortingly. "It'll be lots of fun."

Felicity was not quite so sure. She didn't say so, but Blanche seemed to know anyway. "Shell have fun, won't she, Candace?" Blanche asked, looking for support.

"Oh, yes, ma'am. She'll have barrels of fun." Candace did not sound too sure either. "She'll need someone to stand up with her, though. She don't know any womenfolk around here."

"Stand up with me?" Felicity repeated, uncertain exactly what that meant.

"Yes," Blanche explained. "You need a woman to stand with you for the wedding, and Joshua will have a man, the best man and the maid of honor."

Felicity turned to Candace, the only female friend she had in the world, but Candace shook her head slightly. No, a Negro servant could not witness the wedding. "Mrs. Delano might do it, if you asked her real nice," Candace suggested.

Blushing slightly, Felicity turned back to Mrs. Delano. "Would you?" she asked.

"Would I ever!" Blanche agreed, vastly pleased. "Won't that set the tongues to wagging? Poor Blanche Delano had to stand up at Josh Logan's wedding! I can hear it now!"

Not quite able to understand why Blanche would be so happy at the prospect of being gossiped about, Felicity managed only a thin smile. "Thank you," she said, but Blanche waved her gratitude away with a sweep of her elegant hands.

"Well, I reckon you've got lots to do, so I'll be on my way. I haven't even had time to unpack from my trip yet! Thank you for the tea." Blanche rose, leaving her untouched cup behind.

Felicity walked her out, still feeling a little overwhelmed. Blanche paused at the front door and took Felicity's hand again. "I know all this must seem a little frightening to you. If you need a friend, you can count on me. Candace will take good care of you, too, I know. Just remember not to let Joshua have things his own way all the time. That spoils a man faster than anything."

"I won't," Felicity promised, smiling in spite of herself. She vividly remembered how she had refused him the night before and began to feel a little better about herself.

"I'll come early on Saturday to help you get ready. Do you have a dress?" Blanche asked.

"I'm going to town today for one," Felicity replied.

"Good. Then I'd really better get going so you can be on your way. Good luck!" she called over her shoulder as she sailed across the porch and down the steps to her waiting buggy.

Feeling slightly exhausted from her encounter with the amazing Mrs. Delano, Felicity stood in the front doorway and waved as Blanche drove her buggy out of the ranch yard.

Standing in the yard, Josh watched Blanche leave with a feeling of relief. The woman was too forward by half. Imagine asking him outright why he'd never taken her to bed. And the things she'd said about Felicity. Josh shook his head in wonder, wishing Sam Delano had taken a firmer hand with his outspoken wife to cure her of her boldness. Since it was now far too late for such a remedy, Josh shifted his attention to the woman who would be his own wife.

She was still standing in the doorway looking slightly dazed from meeting Blanche. Meeting Blanche could do that to a person, Josh knew, recalling that Blanche had actually mellowed through the years. When he had first met her, twelve years earlier, she had smoked cigars and cursed like a man. Blanche was not the type of woman he wanted to influence his wife. He took the porch stairs two at a time.

"What did she say to you?" he demanded of Felicity.

Felicity blinked, startled at his tone. "We talked about the wedding," she said, extremely conscious of how close he was standing and loath to tell him what else they had discussed. "I asked her to stand up with me."

"You did what?" Josh exploded.

But Felicity did not flinch. She remembered what Blanche had warned her about. Straightening to her full height, she looked right into his gray eyes. "I asked her to stand up with me. Who else was I supposed to ask? I don't know a single other woman except Candace."

Josh scowled at her, unable to argue with her reasoning but unwilling to accept it either. This wedding was turning into a regular circus. People would be talking about it for the next hundred years. He changed the subject. "If you're ready, let's go. I'll tell Gus to hitch the wagon." Again, he added silently. Maybe this time they would get away without incident.

They did, but by the time they were out of sight of the ranch, Felicity began to grow uneasy at the prospect of being alone with him for a long period of time. "How far is it to town?" she asked.

"An hour or so," he replied without looking at her.

Felicity knew he was still angry, although why he should be, she had no idea. If she had thought for one minute he was upset about Mrs. Delano being her matron of honor, she would have brought the subject up again and cleared the air. Some instinct told her his fury had nothing to do with that, however, so she remained silent, acutely aware of his body so close to hers on the wagon seat.

Once again she got that strange ache, deep inside of her. Even in the open air with the stiff Texas breeze whipping around where they sat high on the wagon seat, she could still smell his musky, masculine scent. She knew exactly how hard and warm his body would feel if she were to reach out and touch him. Curling her hands into fists against the temptation, Felicity tried to concentrate on watching the passing scenery. Unfortunately, the unbroken line of the prairie and the broad canopy of blue sky provided inadequate distraction.

It was only natural to feel the way she did, she supposed, after what had happened between them. Part of it was apprehension over the possibility that he might yet change his mind about marrying her. But what was the other part? Surely one lapse had not turned her into a complete wanton, and yet she could not stop the feelings of desire that tortured her every time he came near. What would become of her if he turned her out after all? She shivered slightly at the thought.

Josh slapped the horses to hurry them along. He was not enjoying the ride. Having Felicity so close, where he could feel her every move and practically sense her every emotion, was pure torture. Earlier, when Blanche had arrived, he had been anticipating taking Felicity in his arms. The sharp edge of that desire still prodded him, stirring memories of the way she felt and tasted, the way she yielded in sweet surrender.

Knowing that an open wagon on a public road was hardly the place to indulge such an impulse did nothing to improve his mood.

But that wasn't the only thing bothering him. As strongly as he wanted her, he still suffered from the guilt of having taken her once. Although he had denied it at the time, the truth was that he had seduced her, plain and simple. He had ignored her protests and taken advantage of her innocence to have his way. The knowledge disturbed him, and even the fact that he intended to marry her did little to ease his conscience.

"I want you to buy whatever you need in town," guilt prompted him to say. "I want you to have a fancy white wedding dress, so buy the best material they have." That should please her, he thought. Only the very privileged could indulge in the custom of wearing white on their wedding day. Felicity stared at him in amazement. What on earth was he thinking of? "I can't wear white," she said in a strained voice, only too conscious of how risky it might be to displease him by refusing his wishes.

Josh frowned, a little surprised at her reaction. Of course, a white dress would not be of much use to a rancher's wife. Maybe she was only being sensible. "I know it's not practical and that you'll probably never be able to wear it for anything else, but I told you, I want this wedding to be fancy." He glanced over at her to be sure she understood that he wanted the best for her. She turned away from him instantly, but he still caught a glimpse of her face. Her expression startled him.

"I can't wear white," Felicity explained through stiff lips, "because of what happened." Too mortified to meet his eyes, she studied her clenched fists instead.

A full minute passed before Josh comprehended her meaning. When he did, he jerked the team to a dead halt in the middle of the road. "What the hell does that mean?" he demanded.

"You know what it means, and I've asked you before not to swear at me," Felicity said primly in an effort to divert his attention.

Her effort failed. "That's ridiculous! You can wear any color you want," Josh said, shifting in the seat to face her.

Dismayed at her own temerity, she still insisted, "Not white." She was a fool to oppose his wishes, but she could not seem to stop herself.

"No one's going to know," he pointed out impatiently, although his irritation was directed more at himself than at her. Knowing she had every reason to feel soiled because of what he had done only angered him more.

"I'll know," Felicity said softly, closing her eyes against the tears that suddenly threatened.

Dropping the reins, Josh grabbed her arms and turned her forcibly toward him. "But I'm the only one who'll care, and I want you in white." In his frustration, he longed to shake her, to use his physical strength to force her into accepting this small token of restitution. But when he saw her tortured face, he understood the folly of such a wish. His hold on her gentled as the urge to comfort her overwhelmed him, and he drew her close.

"No!" she said, but the sound was muffled against his mouth. In another second she was thinking "yes" as his arms slid around her, enveloping her in their strength. All thoughts of their argument fled before the onslaught of his kiss. The ache in her stomach became raw pain, and she clung to him frantically. The whole world lurched in reaction.

He thrust her away, muttering the kind of words she had asked him not to use, and scrambled for the reins. In the next instant she realized that the whole world had not lurched, only their wagon. The horses, sensing the lack of control, had made a tentative bid for freedom. He quickly checked that bid. By the time he had subdued the horses, Felicity had regained her own control. She tensed defensively, recalling Blanche's warning about letting him have his own way. She had weakened for a moment but she was strong now. Ignoring her previous fears about displeasing him, she prepared to fight him off if he tried to kiss her again. She simply could not allow it, not if she wanted to maintain her own pride.

Josh looked down at her, his breath still coming hard and fast. He wanted nothing more than to drag her over into the back of the wagon and make love to her until she sobbed his name. Then she would have neither the strength nor the inclination to deny him anything. Unfortunately, this was neither the time nor the place, a fact he had almost forgotten, with embarrassing consequences. He sighed in frustration.

"You are going to wear white," he said hoarsely, and slapped the team into motion. There, now she would understand that he was determined to honor her publicly, no matter what might have happened privately.

Felicity pressed her lips together over the sharp words that trembled on her tongue. Why was he so determined to humiliate her? She would feel like a hypocrite decked out in a virginal white gown. But she realized the danger of arguing with him anymore. If he thought her too stubborn and sharp-tongued, he might yet send her away. If he insisted, she would buy white material. She would simply not use it.

Felicity recognized the town of Prospect even though she had never seen it before. In her travels she had seen a hundred towns exactly like it: one main street where the major businesses were located, and several side streets lined with houses in varying states of repair. In spite of the uncomfortable silence that still stretched between her and Mr. Logan, she felt the familiar surge of excitement over coming to a new place. Apprehension mingled with her excitement this time, though. This time she was not the ragged child of an itinerant photographer, her figure hidden by a baggy dress, her golden hair braided tightly and tucked up out of sight beneath a faded bonnet so no one would notice her. Today she was Josh Logan's intended bride, and everyone would want to get a look at her.

Fortunately, the town was fairly deserted, although enough idlers lined the street to make her feel uncomfortable. All of them turned to watch her drive by.

Apparently oblivious to their audience, Mr. Logan pulled the wagon up in front of the store and hopped down to secure the horses. Felicity tried to match his cool unconcern and studiously avoided glancing at a single person. After what seemed a long time, he reached up to help her down from the seat. The sight of his hands reaching for her set her heart to skittering in her chest. Unconsciously, she drew back.

"Felicity," he whispered impatiently, "I'm hardly likely to do anything to you on Main Street."

Hating the hot color that rushed to her cheeks, Felicity allowed him to lift her to the ground. If her heart was still racing and her blood pounding in her ears, she gave no outward indication of it. Instead she walked calmly up the wooden steps to the sidewalk and on into the store.

She paused inside the doorway for a moment, allowing her eyes to accustom themselves to the interior dimness. Inhaling the mingled odors of leather and spices and tobacco and pickles and the thousand other fragrant items lining the shelves of the mercantile, she enjoyed the delicious realization that today, for the first time since she could remember, she was entering a store to buy something just for herself. How often had she accompanied her father to places exactly like this one and covetously eyed the beautiful goods displayed, only to walk out with nothing more than a sack of flour or a side of bacon? Today would be different.

"You must be Mr. Logan's… uh… friend," a female voice said.

Felicity looked up to see a middle-aged woman wearing an apron and a quizzical look approaching her. "Yes, I…"

"Mrs. Hankins, this is Miss Felicity Storm," Josh said, entering the store behind her.

"How do you do," Mrs. Hankins said, smiling warmly. "I knew it had to be you. I recognized the dress."

Felicity smiled back, remembering that Mr. Logan had told her how the lady at the store had chosen the dresses for her. "I'm very pleased to meet you," Felicity said. "And I want to thank you for everything you did."

"I'm just glad I was able to fit you," Mrs. Hankins said, stepping back a little to examine Felicity's dress with an approving eye.

"We're here to get some more things for Felicity," Josh said. "She'll need a wedding dress and-"

"A wedding dress! Then it's true! You really are getting married," Mrs. Hankins exclaimed delightedly. "We'd heard rumors but… Of course, I should have guessed something of the sort when he told me he wanted the blue dresses to match your eyes."

Felicity's blue eyes widened at this information. Somehow Mr. Logan did not seem the sort of man who would think of something so whimsical. Even Blanche had been skeptical of his impulsiveness. Could they both have been mistaken? Could he possibly have a romantic streak neither of them suspected? Then she remembered that he had mentioned something about matching the dresses to her eyes the day he had given them to her. Might he have some softer feelings for her after all? Felicity turned to him, hoping to find an answer in his expression.

Josh frowned down at her, easily reading the hope on her face. She wanted him to be in love with her, so smitten that he had ridden at breakneck speed to purchase a garment the exact color of her eyes. But he had done nothing of the kind. In fact, Mrs. Hankins had asked him what color her eyes were, and he had just happened to remember. Unwilling to explain all that, however, he shifted his attention back to Mrs. Hankins. "We want the very best white satin that you have, and some lace, too." he said, knowing such a request would wipe all other thoughts from Felicity's mind.

Once more Felicity felt heat scorching her face, but this time her humiliation produced anger. How she would have liked to inform Mr. Joshua Logan that he could take his white satin and lace and jump off the nearest cliff with them straight into the fires of perdition. Only the knowledge of how embarrassed Mrs. Hankins would be to witness such a display stilled her tongue. That and the fact that Felicity was biting her tongue fiercely.

Through the haze of her fury she heard Mrs. Hankins say, "I'm sorry, Mr. Logan, but I don't have any white satin, or white anything for that matter. I don't get much call for it. I could order some, but it might take a month or more. I don't expect you want to wait that long, do you?" she added with a knowing smile.

"No," Josh grudgingly admitted. Even the thought of waiting until Saturday was extremely unpleasant, but he hated to let anyone know how very desperate he was to have the girl.

Mrs. Hankins expected no other answer, however, and seemed not to notice any cosmic significance in his negative reply. She was already leading Felicity toward the back of the store. "I have a bolt of lovely gold taffeta that I think will be perfect," she was saying.

Felicity threw a triumphant look over her shoulder at him, irritating him all over again, but he swallowed his annoyance, determined not to let her see it.

"Hey, Josh, didn't expect to see you back in town so soon," Mr. Hankins said as he entered the store.

"I brought my…"-Josh had to stop to think of the word-"… fiancee into town to buy a wedding dress," he finished, hating the flush he knew was crawling up his neck.

Hankins grinned expansively. "Congratulations," he said, extending his hand to shake. "We'd heard about it but weren't sure it was really true. So you're finally getting married, huh?"

Josh shook hands with the storekeeper and nodded, unwilling to pursue this line of conversation. In his search for a new topic, he recalled what he had discussed with Hankins on his last visit. "Did that fellow you told me about ever show up in town again?" he asked, realizing he had completely forgotten to even mention the man to Candace in all the fuss about Felicity and the wedding plans.

Hankins frowned. "No. You mean he never showed up out at your place?"

"Not yet," Josh replied, uneasily aware of Hankins's concern. Josh had managed to convince himself that the stranger was harmless, but seeing Hankins again stirred his doubts.

"Mr. Logan, come and give us your opinion," Mrs. Hankins called from the back of the store.

Hankins laughed outright at Josh's startled expression. "She doesn't really want your opinion, you know," Hankins confided. "She just wants to get a feel for how much you want to spend. Now's the time to put your foot down and show your bride who's boss." He sent Josh on his way with an encouraging pat on the back.

More than a little puzzled, because he could not picture Felicity choosing something so expensive it would cause Mrs. Hankins concern, Josh strolled down the aisle to the rear of the building. His confusion grew when he saw the stubborn set of Felicity's jaw, but Mrs. Hankins's complaint put everything back into focus.

"Miss Storm doesn't seem to like the taffeta," she said.

"Oh, I like it fine," Felicity contradicted. "It's just so expensive."

Josh glanced at the counter where Mrs. Hankins had unfurled a length of the golden material. It was the same sort of stuff Blanche's dress had been made of, except it was a color that didn't knock your eyeballs loose. He noticed Felicity's small hand fingering the edge of the cloth covetously, but she said, "It costs a dollar a yard, and I'd need more than eighteen yards of it to make that pattern…"

"I have this lovely pattern," Mrs. Hankins explained, showing it to Josh. "You see, she could use it for her wedding gown, but she could also make it up in calico without the fancy trim for everyday. It's very versatile."

"But eighteen yards…" Felicity protested, eyeing the fabric with longing. She had never seen anything so beautiful, but she couldn't expect Mr. Logan to spend that much money on her. How wasteful for a dress she would hardly ever wear! If she could not please him by wearing a white dress, at least she could please him by saving him some money.

"I'd suggest that you get at least twenty yards," Mrs. Hankins said cheerfully. "You'll want to make a bonnet to match."

Felicity drew her hand away as if the fabric had burned her. "Twenty yards! Absolutely not! What else have you got?"

Josh stared at Felicity. Even he could plainly see she wanted that material. Was she still trying to do penance for what had happened by denying herself something she really wanted? The thought sliced into him, lacerating his already sensitive conscience. He simply could not allow her to make any more sacrifices. "Cut her twenty yards of that yellow stuff and then show us what else you've got," he ordered, contradicting Felicity's instructions.

Smiling victoriously, Mrs. Hankins began to measure out the material.

Felicity stared at him in utter amazement. He actually seemed annoyed that she didn't want to squander his money. "I don't need a dress that expensive," she whispered to him.

No, perhaps she didn't, Josh thought, but he needed to give it to her. "Yes, you do," he said with finality.

"I have some brown velvet that will trim this beautifully," Mrs. Hankins reported, still smiling happily.

"Fine, measure it out," Josh said, pleased to be able to do something special for Felicity to prove how much he thought of her.

Felicity continued to stare at him. His gray eyes seemed to challenge her to argue with him. Fortunately, she was too flabbergasted to do any such thing. After the way they had argued earlier, she would not have been surprised if he had refused to buy her anything at all. Instead he was…

"And I want you to pick out enough material to make yourself three… no, four more dresses. Then you'll have one for every day of the week," Josh continued, determined that she would endure no more self-inflicted deprivations.

Felicity gasped. A dress for every day of the week! Nobody needed that many dresses! He was being outrageous. The spark of acquisitiveness she had felt upon entering the store was smothered under this avalanche of extravagance. "Mr. Logan, I don't want-"

"Get her everything she needs, and put it on my account," Josh told Mrs. Hankins, annoyed over the way Felicity had addressed him. She knew he did not want her to call him "Mr. Logan," especially in front of other people. What would Mrs. Hankins think?

Mrs. Hankins thought the whole thing was rather amusing, he noticed, glancing over in her direction. Well, he had provided.her with enough entertainment for one day. "I'll be back later," he said, and strolled purposefully out of the store.

Resisting with difficulty the urge to call him back and demand he countermand his orders, Felicity tried to remember to remain calm and unruffled in front of the storekeeper's wife. She didn't want to cause talk, and after all, she would get to choose fabric for four more new dresses. Since she had never owned more than two dresses at any one time in her entire life, such an opportunity should have thrilled her. It would have, too, if she had thought for one minute Mr. Logan's generosity was prompted by his affection for her. Instead he was buying the clothes just to be ornery, just because she had objected. And maybe just to prove his dominance over her. Sighing with resignation, she focused her attention on the violet-sprigged calico Mrs. Hankins was showing her.

Josh leaned against the barn wall and watched Felicity's bedroom window fade from light to dark. He tried not to think about the fact that she would, at that very moment, be climbing into bed clad in nothing but a thin nightdress. Sighing wearily, he reached into his vest pocket for the makings to roll himself a smoke.

"You sure did fix that girl up good and proper with clothes," Candace said from beside him.

He whirled, surprised to find she had come so close without his realizing it and annoyed that she had seen him staring at Felicity's window like some love-struck swain. "Not that she appreciates it," he replied, unable to keep the edge from his voice.

"You mean she didn't thank you for all those things you bought her?" Candace said in disbelief.

"Oh, she thanked me, all right. You would've thought somebody was holding a gun to her head to make her do it, though." The memory of her stilted "Thank you, Mr. Logan" still rankled. He had bought her the clothes to overcome the feelings of shame he knew still tormented her. He wanted to prove to her that he did not believe she had done anything to be ashamed of. He had even been stupid enough to expect her to be pleased. If he had remembered her reaction to the first clothes he had given her, he could have spared himself the disappointment. The girl simply did not know how to accept a gift.

"She's gonna look mighty pretty on her wedding day," Candace said, hoping to tease him out of his dark mood.

But Josh did not want to discuss his wedding day, certainly not with Candace. Casting about for a change of topic, he remembered that he had something important to discuss with her. "There was a man in town looking for you the other day."

Candace's dark eyes glittered in the moonlight as she pretended to simper. "Was there now?" she asked playfully.

"A colored man, and Hankins said he looked like you," Josh said, watching her reaction carefully.

"Looked like me?" Candace echoed, puzzled.

"Yeah, I figured he might be some kin of yours. Hankins said he was asking if you still worked for me and where my place was located."

Candace frowned thoughtfully. "Might be. I got lots of kinfolk, brothers and cousins and…" She paused. "How old a man was he?" she asked sharply.

"Hankins wasn't sure," Josh said, catching the change in Candace's tone but uncertain as to what it meant.

"Was he around my age or older or… younger?" Candace asked, her voice strange in the darkness.

"I really don't know. Is anything wrong?" he asked with growing concern.

"Wrong?" she said distractedly. "No, nothing's wrong." Then she smiled, her teeth a white slash in her dark face, but Josh knew the smile was forced. "Well, if he's kin of mine, I reckon he'll show up here sooner or later. Good night, Mr. Josh."

Josh frowned as he watched her hurry away. When Hankins first told him about the stranger, Josh had been certain the man could not possibly mean Candace any harm. He knew Candace could not have an enemy in the world. But for the first time in his life Josh considered the fact that he knew very little about Candace's past, a past that might possibly include someone of whom she would be afraid. But Candace was not afraid, not exactly. Her emotion had been something different, something he could not quite identify. He stood there in the dark, puzzling over it for a long time and trying not to look up at Felicity's darkened window.

"How long will you be gone?"

Asa Gordon looked up to where his landlady stood in the open doorway, and smiled. "Don't know exactly. This is a tough case and I might be gone several months," he reported, and returned to his packing. The task would not take long. His few changes of clothing would fit easily into the carpetbag sitting on his bed.

"Should I hold the room for you?" Mrs. Cruthers asked.

She was being professionally polite, in case someone happened to overhear, but Asa heard the petulant undertone in her voice. For the past several months, the buxom widow had been much more than his landlady. Sacrificing the cozy comfort of her bed was his only regret at leaving Philadelphia. But it was a tiny regret. He suspected that Mrs. Cruthers was beginning to imagine wedding bells in their future. Better to make the break a clean one.

"I reckon you can let the room go to someone else, since I don't know when I'll get back," he said, allowing just the proper note of apology to tinge his voice.

He had not expected a tearful scene, but he was equally surprised by her cold hauteur. "I should have figured as much from the likes of you," she sniffed, turning on her heel and stalking angrily away.

Asa paused in his packing, marveling over her reaction. Women, God love them, never ceased to amaze him. With a philosophical shrug, he resumed his chore. There would be other buxom widows. There were plenty of them in Texas.

Chapter Six

Felicity's wedding day dawned bright and clear. She happened to notice this because she was wide awake long before the sun had even peeked over the horizon. Sitting up against the headboard of her bed, she drew her knees up to her chest and clutched them tightly. In the feeble morning light she could see the golden dress hanging on a peg across the room and looking like just one more elegant accessory to this golden room.

Shivering slightly, she pulled the quilt up over her shoulders, even though she knew her chills were not caused by the temperature. She shivered because she was afraid, more mortally afraid than she had ever been in her entire life. In a few hours scores of total strangers would descend on the ranch to witness her marriage to a man she hardly knew. Tonight she would no longer sleep in this golden room, alone. Tonight she would sleep with Mr. Logan in his bedroom next door. And tonight he would do that awful thing to her again.

But it wasn't awful if you were married, she reminded herself sternly. And, she admitted reluctantly, it wasn't even awful if you weren't. Every night since it had happened she had awakened from tormented dreams, her body damp and aching, longing for something she could not even name. She did not dare to let him know her longing, though. Instead, whenever he came close, whenever he tried to take her in his arms, she resisted. She could not allow him one single kiss because even one kiss was more temptation than she could bear. If she gave him her mouth, she would give him everything, and that would be wrong. She simply could not allow it, not again, not until they were married.

Tonight they would be married. Felicity shivered again. Maybe now the quarrels would end, the quarrels that frightened her almost as much as thoughts of the wedding. Mr. Logan's angry voice insisting, "We'll be married in a few days! What will it hurt?" and then, "We'll be married tomorrow, for God's sake!" and her insisting right back, "But we aren't married yet!" Then the fear would come, the fear that he would call the whole thing off. Sometimes he was so angry that she wondered why he didn't, why he didn't just send her away and be done with her.

She supposed he would be embarrassed to call off the wedding after everyone already knew about it. That was the only explanation that made any sense to her. The idea that he might want her, specifically, as his wife was too preposterous even to consider. As exciting as making love with him had been for her, she knew he could easily find a much more exciting woman to take her place. Hadn't Mrs. Delano already indicated her willingness? There surely must be many others whom Felicity had not met. She found the thought extremely depressing.

But in spite of everything, he was still going to marry her today. She had to keep reminding herself of that. As Joshua Logan's wife, she need fear nothing ever again. She would never be alone or poor or hungry or lost. And he would protect her. She would never again have to look over her shoulder to see if someone was following her. She would have a home, and she would have Mr. Logan to take care of her. That was more than she had ever hoped for. She should have been grateful.

But if only she could have his love, too. She understood only too well that the ache she felt for his physical body was just a symptom of her craving for his affection. Unless he cared for her, unless he loved her the way a man loves a woman, she would always be alone and poor and hungry and lost, no matter what luxuries surrounded her.

"Please, God," she whispered into the morning stillness.

Blanche Delano was as good as her word. She arrived soon after the breakfast tray that Candace had delivered to Felicity's room.

"Good Lord, girl, you're as white as a sheet!" Blanche exclaimed the instant she entered Felicity's room. "Lucky thing I brought along some rouge. We'll have you fixed up in no time."

"Rouge!" Felicity said, shocked to her core. "I couldn't paint my face!"

"Of course you could. Everyone does it," Blanche informed her blandly. "Is this your dress?" She paused a moment to examine the garment. Blanche herself was clothed in a stately gown of deepest burgundy crepon, a heavy, crinkled crepe fabric, and a matching velvet hat that tied primly beneath her chin.

"Did you make this all yourself?" Blanche asked, obviously impressed as she spread the intricate folds of the skirt.

"Candace helped," Felicity said. Candace had to help. Making such a dress in so brief a time was simply too big a job for one person.

"I can't wait to see how it looks on you," Blanche said. "But first we'll concentrate on fixing up that face of yours so folks won't think you're scared to death of poor ol' Joshua."

Felicity winced, but Blanche did not seem to notice. Between Blanche and Candace, they got her bathed and combed and curled and dressed by the time the first wagon-loads of guests began to arrive. Once again Felicity knew frustration as she tried to view herself in the small mirror over the washstand.

"You look like a picture in Godey's Lady's Book," Blanche decreed.

Felicity had never seen Godey's Lady's Book, but she knew she looked like a picture. She could hardly believe the lovely young woman staring back at her from the mirror was Felicity Storm. Blanche had insisted on trimming the hair around her face and crimping it with a curling iron until it formed a burnished halo around her head. The face she was accustomed to seeing looked different, too. Her eyes seemed to be larger and a deeper shade of blue, and her cheeks were unnaturally rosy, although Blanche's rouge could be blamed for that.

The dress itself was nothing short of magnificent. Encased in its crisp folds, Felicity felt like a princess. The bodice hugged her tiny waist and fit tightly over the small breasts that Blanche's skillful lacing of her corset had lifted to prominence. The yards and yards of skirt flared out and down, draped into a tidy bustle in the back. Felicity's collar and cuffs were trimmed in golden brown velvet, as soft as bunny fur, and velvet flounces edged her voluminous skirt.

Felicity touched one of the velvet-covered buttons that ran down the front of her bodice, recalling how she had covered them by lamplight, her head pounding from eyestrain as she and Candace raced the clock to have the dress ready in time. Now the effort seemed worthwhile. Felicity Storm might not deserve to marry a man like Mr. Logan, but at least today she would look as if she did.

Felicity spun happily to face Blanche, who beamed her approval. "Well now, do you need any last-minute wedding-night instructions, or has Joshua already taught you everything you need to know?" Blanche inquired with her usual frankness.

Felicity gaped at the older woman in horror and guilt, the scarlet in her face no longer the result of cosmetic enhancement. Felicity realized instantly that she had revealed her shame, that she should have pretended innocence instead, but it was too late for such subterfuge. Blanche knew the truth.

"I see," Blanche murmured to herself. "There now, don't look so worried. You won't get any lectures out of me. Here, sit down. I reckon there's still a few things you need to know." Blanche directed her to sit on the edge of the bed, helping her spread her skirts so they would not wrinkle. "And don't look so guilty. I doubt Joshua wasted much time talking you into it, or even getting your consent, for that matter."

"He didn't force me," Felicity said, answering some perverse need to defend her betrothed. "I didn't fight or scream." Felicity watched her hands twisting in her lap so she would not have to see Blanche's reaction to such an infamous confession.

"Of course not," Blanche said softly, gently patting Felicity's shoulder. "You probably wanted it, too."

This brought Felicity's face up, her startled blue eyes meeting Blanche's green ones. Instead of the condemnation she had expected, she saw only kindness.

"Listen, honey, you'll have to do worse than that to shock me. Maybe I should tell you about myself before you start feeling too guilty. I was born in a whorehouse." She did not seem to hear Felicity's gasp of horror. "I grew up there, and when I was fifteen, ray mother turned me out to whore, too. I'd been working in a dance house for a couple months, one of those places where they have cribs in the back. Do you know what a crib is?"

"A baby's bed," Felicity said innocently, her voice a fascinated whisper.

"It's also a small room with just a bed where a man can go with a woman for a quick… roll in the hay." Blanche gave her a self-mocking grin. "One night I was in one of the cribs with a man. He got nasty because I wouldn't… do something special that he wanted. He hit me a few times, and Sam Delano came busting in to see what the ruckus was all about. He'd never set eyes on me before that night, but when he saw how young I was, he took me out of that place."

"I don't guess he really had any plans about what to do with me. I think he might've wanted to adopt me or something, in the beginning. He was almost forty, and I wasn't sixteen yet. That first night he took me outside of town to where he was camped. He only had one set of blankets, so we slept together. I thought I knew what he wanted, but he just held me that first night. Then I got scared he'd send me away, so I seduced him. After that, adoption was out of the question, so we got married instead."

"If you think your wedding was a shock to people, you should have heard folks talk when Sam showed up here with me. I was a feisty little trollop who could swear a blue streak. It took him a while to tame me down and turn me into a lady… or as much of a lady as I'll ever be," she corrected with another grin.

Felicity was so stunned, she could barely speak. "Why did you tell me all that?" she wondered aloud, certain that Blanche would never have told another person such a story.

"So you'd understand," Blanche said, kneeling before her in a cloud of burgundy skirts. She took Felicity's hands gently in her own. "Sam tamed me, but he taught me how to love, too. I'd never loved another living soul until I met him. And he loved me, too, me, as bad as I was. Don't you see? If two people can fall in love the way Sam and I did, then you and Joshua can fall in love, too. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it's started already. Why do you think he took you to bed?" Her wise eyes glittered shrewdly, making Felicity look away.

Felicity wasn't certain if what she felt for Mr. Logan could be called love or not. More than likely, it was simply lust. But she did care about him in a very special way, and that might grow into love under the proper conditions. Of course, she knew Mr. Logan did not love her. He had told her so. "He just did that to make sure I'd marry him," she said.

"Felicity!" Blanche chastened. "A man doesn't buy the cow if he can get the milk for free! Think about it. He must have been pretty desperate for you to say 'yes' if he seduced you to get that 'yes'! He wants more than just a little roll in the hay. He wanted you for a wife, for always. Why do you suppose he went to such great lengths to make sure you had to marry him?"

Felicity had never considered this aspect. She voiced the first thought that came to her mind. "He wanted to get married, and I was handy."

Blanche made a rude noise. "I've known Joshua Logan for twelve years, and he's never wanted to get married, not until you came along. If he had wanted to, there's a hundred women within the sound of my voice he could have had for the asking, myself included. But he never asked, not once. Then he found you and practically forced you into taking him. Now, why do you think that is?"

Felicity could not think of a reason, so she simply shook her head numbly. All of this was too much to take in all at once.

"Well, you think about it. Especially think about it while Joshua is making love to you tonight," Blanche advised with a mischievous smile. She rose gracefully to her feet. "Although, now that I think about it, he probably won't get much of a chance. I'll bet the boys have a shivaree planned. They'll probably kidnap either you or Josh so you can't be together tonight. That's a pretty common trick."

"I doubt they'll do anything like that," Felicity said, glad the topic had changed from such terribly disturbing subjects. "I heard Cookie tell Candace that Mr. Logan had threatened violence to any men who pulled any pranks."

Blanche sniffed in annoyance. "What fun is a wedding if you can't cause some mischief? Maybe I'll have to take matters into my own hands."

"Please don't!" Felicity implored, jumping to her feet. She found the prospect of being separated from Mr. Logan even more terrifying than the prospect of being married to him.

"Don't worry, honey," Blanche assured her. "I won't do anything mean. Maybe I can think of a little something to liven things up, though." With that cryptic remark, she made a swift foray outside to determine if it was time to begin the ceremony.

The walk from the front porch of the house to where Mr. Logan and the preacher stood out on the hastily constructed dance floor in the middle of the yard was the longest of Felicity's life. The myriad staring faces blurred as she moved by, concentrating only on reaching her goal.

Blanche Delano's regal figure cut a path through the crowd for her, which she gratefully followed. As if from a distance, Felicity could hear the murmur of voices rolling before her, but she never caught up with it. As she passed, the crowd grew silent. By the time she reached Mr. Logan, an anticipatory hush had fallen over the entire ranch yard.

Josh could hardly believe the beautiful woman approaching him was the same bedraggled girl he had carried into his house a scant week earlier. How could he ever have mistaken her for a child? She was every inch a woman now, and in every way. His body tingled with the memory of his flesh against hers and with the knowledge that before this day was over, he would know her again. She would be his, completely his. His gaze snagged hers, sending her that silent message, and he thought she faltered slightly as she approached.

Felicity's heart lurched in her chest. How could he look at her like that in front of all these people? she wondered frantically. What would they think? Would they guess that she was not the virginal bride she should have been, that she should rightfully have worn a dress the color of Blanche's, the one Blanche had jokingly referred to as the dress of a "scarlet woman"?

In spite of her dismay, she could not help the tremor of reaction that rippled through her at the sight of him standing so tall and straight in the same black suit he had worn for his photograph. He looked like some mythical patriarch with his silver hair glittering in the sunlight and ruffled by the breeze, his handsome face solemn and intent, his gray eyes glowing as if from some inner fire.

When he reached out to take her hand, the air around her seemed to evaporate, leaving her in a breathless expectancy. The minister prompted her for vows which came from her throat on a feeble thread of sound, in marked contrast to the confidence with which Mr. Logan uttered his. At last the ceremony was over and Mr. Logan bent to kiss her. His lips touched hers chastely and briefly, but when he drew back, his eyes were stormy with desire. She felt a scorching heat, and her body quivered as if he had touched her intimately.

For the rest of her life, Felicity remembered that day as through a vague mist. The whole event seemed to be happening to someone else. First there were a hundred people coming up to meet her and shake her hand and wish her well on her marriage. A few gentlemen were bold enough to steal a kiss, but only a few. Not many dared defy Mr. Logan's discouraging glare. She was grateful for that.

Then came the dinner, a feast fit for a king, or so everyone said. Felicity could barely swallow a bite. After that came dancing, all afternoon and into the night. At first Felicity was embarrassed because she did not know how to dance, never having had the opportunity to learn. Her new husband laughed off her concerns, quickly showing her the steps. She was grateful to have something else on which to concentrate when he took her in his arms. Dancing with him, standing so close, touching him with such familiarity left her breathless and disturbed. But, she quickly discovered, she only suffered those symptoms when dancing with her husband. When another man-someone whose name she had forgotten- claimed her for the next dance, she experienced only self-consciousness over moving her feet correctly.

To her amazement, virtually every man present wanted to partner her for a dance. Only the fact that the fiddlers and the caller took frequent breaks saved her from lameness.

Oddly, in spite of her popularity and the swarms of people around her at every moment, Felicity never lost sight of her husband. As if some invisible cord bound them, she was constantly aware of his every movement, of the people he spoke to, of the women he danced with, even of how many times he visited the whiskey barrel. Their gazes met frequently, his silver eyes sweeping over the crowd until they found her, and Felicity felt their intensity like a physical touch.

It was very late when he came to claim her for a waltz. "Are you having a good time?" he asked, drawing her close to the warmth of his body.

"Yes," she lied, secretly wishing that all the strangers would disappear.

"You look tired," he remarked, his voice uncharacteristically gentle.

"I am. I… I didn't sleep very well last night. Excitement, I guess," she admitted reluctantly.

"Would you like to go to bed?"

Felicity's stomach did a flip-flop. He wanted to go to bed with her. Right now. "Can we? I mean, with all these people here?" she corrected, glad that the soft lights from the lanterns would not reveal her blush.

But he saw her embarrassment anyway. "No," he chuckled softly. "We can't go anywhere. If they see us sneaking off together, we'll never get away. You can, though. Just pretend you're going to the… uh… little house, and then just keep going."

"Oh," she said, unbearably disappointed. Now that she was in his arms, she did not want to let him go, not for a moment, and she certainly didn't want to go off to bed by herself. After the long week of struggling against her own emotions as valiantly as she had struggled against his, she was more than ready to give up the battle.

He chuckled again, pulling her even closer so she could feel his heart pounding against her own. "Don't worry," he assured her in a delicious whisper against her ear, "I'll be along as soon as I can sneak away myself."

Shivers raced down her back to tingle in secret places. Felicity had to call upon all her willpower to maintain a dignified pose when what she wanted to do was press her mouth to his and make him kiss her the way he had kissed her on the night they had first made love. Desperately needing some reassurance that he felt the same, she pulled away from him slightly so she could see his face.

"Oh, God," he muttered, his gray eyes glowing. "Don't look at me like that, or I'll carry you off right now in front of everybody."

Her knees went so weak that she never knew how she had the strength to step away from him when the music ended. By conscious effort, she turned from him and put one foot in front of the other until she was walking in the direction of the outhouse.

The ranch house was dark and quiet when she entered, the only sound, the rustle of her skirts as she stepped into the front room. For a moment she paused in indecision, prickles of unease and anticipation tingling over her body. She would need to fetch her nightdress from her own bedroom. Should she change in there and then go to Mr. Logan's room or…

"In here," Candace called from the opposite side of the parlor.

Felicity looked up to see her standing in the doorway of a room she had never entered. Curiosity drew her. The room was a bedroom, much larger than the other two and furnished with an elegance that seemed out of place on a western ranch. The chestnut hues of the oversize mahogany bedstead and chests gleamed richly in the lamplight. Heavy blue velvet draperies hung at the windows over cream-colored Irish lace, matching the velvet and lace counterpane that lay neatly folded at the foot of the huge feather bed.

"Whose bedroom is this?" Felicity asked in amazement.

"This was the room Mr. Josh's parents slept in, at least until Mrs. Logan decided… Well, anyway, it's the master bedroom. This is the room where the master of the Rocking L Ranch should take his bride." Candace stood back, her dark eyes glittering with an emotion Felicity could not name.

"It's beautiful," Felicity said, glancing around again. Then something else occurred to her. "When did you do all this?" she asked, gesturing to include the freshly ironed sheets on the turned-down bed, the brightly oiled furniture, and the cut flowers gracing the bedside table.

Candace shrugged modestly. "This afternoon." Before Felicity could respond, she added, "I moved your things over, and Mr. Josh's, too. Here, I'll help you get out of that dress."

Felicity gratefully accepted Candace's offer, suddenly realizing how very tired she was, so tired that even her previous excitement now seemed blunted. By the time Candace helped her into her nightdress and tucked her into the huge bed, she was having a difficult time keeping her eyes open.

"Thank you… for everything, Candace," Felicity said as the black woman carefully hung the wedding dress in the enormous wardrobe.

Candace waved away her gratitude. "I was glad to do it. I was starting to think I'd never get a chance to make up Mr. Josh's marriage bed," she said with a twinkle. Then she came over, closer to where Felicity lay propped up against her pillow. Her face grew grave. "I know Mr. Josh will be good to you tonight, but if he goes too fast, you tell him to slow down. Sometimes men get excited and forget that the woman has feelings, too."

Felicity nodded, blushing furiously as she realized that Candace did not know what had already happened. What could she think when she found no bloodstains on the sheets tomorrow? Felicity had already scrubbed those stains from her petticoats days ago. She lowered her eyes so Candace would not read her shame.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about," Candace said, patting Felicity's shoulder comfortingly. "It's a natural thing when two people love each other." Felicity watched Candace's ebony hand lightly stroke the golden hair she had left loose at the older woman's insistence. "You do love him, don't you?" Candace asked softly.

Felicity nodded again, unable to speak around the lump of pain clogging her throat. Yes, she knew it now. She did love him. But how would she ever get him to love her in return?

As if sensing her anguish, Candace allowed her comforting hand to slip around Felicity's slender shoulders in a small, reassuring hug. "Don't worry. There's nothing to be afraid of. My Joshua is a good man. You'll see."

Felicity closed her eyes against the tears that threatened and allowed Candace to adjust her pillow so she could lie flat. "Good night," she whispered in response to Candace's parting words, aware that Candace had turned the lamp down low in preparation for what she imagined would be the romantic interlude ahead.

In the darkened room, beneath the silken sheets, Felicity curled herself into a ball of misery. Her feet and legs ached from all the dancing she had done, but that was nothing compared to the pain in her heart as she waited for her husband to come to her. The tingling anticipation she had felt earlier settled into dread. She had almost forgotten how angry he had been with her all week, how often they had quarreled. Was he still angry beneath the courteous facade he had worn for their wedding guests? Would he take that anger out on her?

Or would this night be as passionate as their first encounter? Would he raise her to the heights of ecstasy once again or use his strength to degrade her? Strangely, she found both possibilities equally terrifying. As much as she would hate his cruelty, she also feared the mindless abandon his touch would elicit, the loss of control and her own feverish need. Thinking back to how she had acted that first time, she hardly recognized herself, hardly credited her own behavior.

Straining to hear the sound of booted feet approaching, she shifted restlessly beneath the bedclothes, aware that whatever demons her mind might be wrestling, her body still craved his touch. Sighing in resignation at her own uncontrollable desires, she waited.

Josh opened the door carefully, suspecting that she might be asleep. Sure enough, she was, lying in a tangle of flaxen curls that glittered like gold in the pale light. He closed the door silently behind him, never taking his eyes from her. She was, he realized, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and he wanted her in a way he had never wanted another woman, with a need that having her once had only inflamed.

Swiftly, he stripped off his clothes, heedless of where they fell and only vaguely aware of the room to which Candace had sent him, a room he had not entered in years. Only one thing mattered, holding her and claiming her.

She lay on her back, one delicate hand resting on her stomach, the other flung up beside her head amidst the gold of her hair. Josh silently cursed the well-wishers who had insisted on toasting his happiness time and again, keeping him from her for almost an hour.

He watched the gentle rise and fall of her breasts beneath the sheer fabric of her nightdress, so sheer he could see the shadows of her nipples nuzzling against the cloth. Desire ripped through him like the hot blade of a knife, making him gasp aloud. She stirred, but did not waken.

After a moment, when he thought he might be able to move again, he put out the light and slipped into the cushiony softness of the bed beside her. Her fragrance enveloped him in an invisible cloud, stirring his blood, urging him on. He reached for her, gentling his touch with the last shred of his willpower. "Lissy?"

Felicity responded to her name, emerging slowly from the dark oblivion into awareness equally dark. Robbed of her sight, her other senses grew more acute.

"Lissy?" a blessedly familiar voice beckoned as callused fingers stroked her cheek in well-remembered intimacy. Warmth surrounded her, his warmth, and with it the musky male scent that she recognized. But when he whispered her name again, she knew something was wrong.

"You've been drinking," she murmured drowsily, identifying the sickly sweet odor on his breath.

Josh chuckled at the faint note of censure in her voice. She was acting like a wife already. "Yes," he admitted. "I had to drink some toasts with our guests."

His words only half registered with her as she came completely awake and realized that she had fallen asleep waiting for him. She was embarrassed. "I didn't mean to fall asleep," she said in confusion. Only after she spoke did she think perhaps this was for the best since now he would not guess how eagerly she had awaited him.

He chuckled again, a rich, bubbling sound in the darkness. "It's no wonder that you did. You've been in here over an hour."

An hour! Felicity winced, hearing his previous promise echoing in her mind: "I'll be along as soon as I can." Obviously, he was not nearly as eager for her as she was for him. Her embarrassment became mortification, and all her previous uncertainties came flooding back until she thought she might choke on them. He preferred drinking with his friends to his wife's bed. When his arms slipped around her, she stiffened, turning her face away from his liquored breath. "What the…?" he muttered when his lips encountered her ear. "Where are you?" Humor flavored his question. His own desire blunted his perceptions, and he did not sense her withdrawal. The softness of her body, the scent of her skin inflamed that desire, blotting all other thoughts from his mind. He swept her up, drawing her into the heat.

Felicity tried to resist. If she meant so little to him, she would not surrender, but she was no match for his strength. When his mouth finally found hers, he held her so tightly that she could not even turn away. She felt a groan rumble from deep in his chest and the bulk of his weight shifted over her, smothering all her protests.

As if from a great distance, Felicity heard an ominous creaking sound. For one awful moment, she imagined that all her bones were breaking, crushed under this unwanted burden. And then they both fell with a loud thump.

With difficulty, Josh and Felicity untangled themselves from the bedclothes and each other to find they were now lying on the floor surrounded by the high sides of the enormous bed.

"What the hell?"

"What happened?"

Slightly dazed, Felicity could not quite get her bearings. She sat up carefully, feeling for the headboard and sides of the bed so she would not bump her head. She heard Mr. Logan swearing some more. "What happened?" she asked again.

"The bed ropes broke, I guess," he said, twisting around to a sitting position beside her. "Nobody's slept in this bed for years. The ropes must have rotted."

"But Candace said she put new ones on," Felicity remembered. Candace had carefully listed all the preparations she had made to the room as she was undressing Felicity. Felicity recalled this one in particular because Candace had mentioned the bed would now be able to hold up to a lot of tossing and turning, a remark that had made Felicity blush.

"Are you sure?" Josh asked, but he was feeling along the side of the bed where the ends of the ropes still dangled. "Somebody cut them!" he informed her in outrage.

"Cut them? Who would do a thing like that?" she asked in confusion.

"Somebody who's going to regret the day he was ever born when I find out who he is," Josh muttered furiously.

But Felicity was remembering another conversation she had had earlier in the day. "I don't think it's a 'him,'" she said thoughtfully.

"You know who did it?" he asked ominously, turning to her in the darkness.

Felicity hesitated a moment. "I… I think it might have been Blanche."

"Blanche?" he echoed incredulously. "Why would she have done it?"

"She was… disappointed when I told her you weren't going to let the men have a shivaree. She said maybe she'd think up some mischief herself…" Felicity let her voice trail off, and she winced at a new spate of profanity.

For a long moment neither of them spoke. Sitting there in the dark, on the floor, among the ruins of their marriage bed, Felicity began to feel a little ridiculous. She tried to remember that only moments ago she had been trying to fight off her husband's amorous attentions because she was angry with him, but somehow that seemed very long ago and far away. Now he, too, was sitting on the floor, fury having replaced passion as his most dominant emotion.

Although his large body was only a darker shadow in the blackness, Felicity could picture exactly how he would look, his broad shoulders stiff with frustration, his handsome face scowling grimly, his gray eyes glittering with rage. And his silver head the only thing visible above the side of the bed, had anyone happened to see them at that moment. His whole head and only the very top of hers. And they were sitting on the floor.

The absurdity of it all twitched at her lips. She slapped a hand across them, but the twitch continued. Before she could stop it, a bubble of laughter burst in her throat. She muffled it as best she could and it came out as a strangled sob.

"Felicity? What's wrong?" he asked in alarm. "Are you hurt?"

His concern, under the present circumstances, struck her as hilarious, and she had to use both hands to check the squeals trying to escape from her mouth.

The awful sounds raised gooseflesh along the back of Josh's neck. He reached for her with gentle hands. Good Lord, she was trembling. "What is it?" he insisted. "Where are you hurt?"

This undid her and she convulsed, collapsing against his chest. "I'm… not… hurt…" she gasped between shrieks.

She had to repeat it twice before he understood, and still he held her as tenderly as if she were spun glass. "Then what's wrong with you?" he demanded, though his voice and hands were infinitely gentle.

"We're… we're sitting… on the floor!" she explained raggedly, still half choking with her laughter. "It's so funny!"

His hands tightened on her arms. "Funny?" he repeated. "Funny! Are you laughing?"

She nodded her head furiously against his chest, too limp to even straighten up.

"Funny!" he said again, incredulously, sending her into another fit. Instinctively, he pulled her closer to allow her laughter to spill over his bare chest. The sensation was fantastic, much the same as receiving a refreshing rain shower on a sultry day. He smiled in the dark as her small body quivered against his. He had never heard such a wondrously joyful sound. His own smile began to twitch.

Felicity felt his laughter before she heard it. The silent quaking shook her and then the sound came pouring out like a jubilant geyser to splash over her.

Josh sank backward onto the pillows, carrying his wife with him, clinging to her until the last rumbles of their mirth died away and they lay together, weakly gasping for breath.

After a long time, he spoke. "What do you think we should do now?" he asked a little breathlessly.

"Do?" Felicity repeated stupidly, too drained to even figure out what he was talking about.

"Yes, do. About our bed."

Felicity found this cryptic remark entirely beyond her depleted ability to analyze. "Huh?" she asked, lifting her head attentively.

He sighed with exaggerated patience. "Our bed is broken. Remember?" he said slowly. "I could, of course, carry you off to one of the other bedrooms, but I'm not exactly dressed for a move."

The word "dressed" lodged in her mind. What did he mean, he wasn't dressed? Suddenly she realized that the fuzz beneath her cheek had been hair. And naked flesh. Tentatively, she moved the arm draped across his waist. Her fingers grazed bare skin.

"You aren't wearing any clothes!" she squeaked, jerking her hand away. She would have jerked the rest of herself away, too, but he was holding her too tightly.

"No, and you're wearing too many," he said, running his hand up and down her back, testing the warmth of her through the thin fabric. The desire that the fall had quenched proved only to be banked. It now flickered to life again, but the raw edge of his need was gone, replaced by a languorous sensuality. His other hand reached for her face and drew it down to his.

Had he tried to force her, she might have resisted once more, but this time his touch was light, almost teasing. When her lips grazed his, all thoughts of resistance vanished.

"Mmmm, you taste so good," he murmured against her mouth as he nibbled at her bottom lip.

And he did, too, she realized. The whiskey flavor was no longer offensive, but intoxicating. Unconsciously, she lifted her hand to his face and slipped her fingers into the soft silver of his hair to deepen the kiss.

His moan of response emboldened her, and when he shifted her to lie on top of him, she cooperated gladly. His tongue was doing such marvelous things inside her mouth that she barely noticed the way his hands had rearranged her nightdress until one of them cupped her bare bottom. Her breath caught in her throat as a thousand sensations rippled through her, every one of them deliciously pleasant.

He moaned again, coaxing her until her legs parted and she was straddling him. She felt the heat of him, and sensed the strength beneath her, strength willingly restrained. Testing her own power, she tightened the grip of her knees against his flanks and playfully nuzzled her hips to his. He made a strangled sound down in his throat and retaliated by clutching at her thighs. His rough fingers mercilessly teased the sensitive inner flesh until her hips bucked against his out of need. And all the time his mouth continued to play with hers, tasting and probing and nipping, until she thought she might well drown in the wonder of it.

Then the whole world turned upside down, and he was looming over her, a faceless silhouette in the darkness. "I'm going to take your nightdress off," he whispered raggedly.

"Are you?" she asked faintly, vaguely aware that he was already working at the buttons.

He did not bother to reply. In a few more moments, the garment slipped over her head, leaving her naked and aching with need. Grateful for the darkness that hid her body, she was equally grateful that it hid her face. Surely her love for him must show in her eyes. It heated her blood until she feared her very skin might glow.

Knowing that her secret was safely hidden, she reached for him hungrily. He came to her, but it was he who devoured. His fevered kisses rained over her body, exploring every inch of her. When she was a quivering mass of desire, he leaned down to taste of that desire.

The shock of his touch shook her, and she cried out with the force of her pleasure. He lifted her higher and higher until she knew she could not stand another moment.

"Please!" she begged.

"Please, what?" he teased, his breath a scorching torment against her throbbing flesh.

"Please!" she repeated, not knowing the words to ask for what she wanted.

But he understood. Slowly, torturously, he stroked his way up her body. Her hands clutched at him in a silent entreaty to hurry, but he took his time. When his face was over hers, she felt the gentle nudging below. Her hands grasped his hips to urge him on, but he held back.

Josh stared down at her, trying futilely to see her face. His own control was dangling by a single thread of willpower, but he needed one thing from her first. "My name. Say my name," he rasped.

"Please!" she almost sobbed. "Please, Joshua."

He filled her in one swift thrust, but even that was not enough for her. She wrapped her legs around him in an effort to draw him even closer, into her heart. Into her soul.

This time there were no colored lights, only a blinding flash of brilliance that seemed to consume them both in a white-hot flame. Felicity fell into a contented sleep in the afterglow.

Candace hummed softly as she made her way to her tiny cabin behind the main house. The last of the guests had gone, so she no longer needed to stand guard over the master bedroom. She smiled again over the memory of her own reaction to the loud thump she had heard from that room earlier. Rushing to listen at the door, she had caught Mr. Josh's outraged."Somebody cut the ropes!" That, she realized, would explain why the Delano woman had been looking for a sharp knife earlier in the day.

Remembering the sounds of laughter she had heard next from the bedroom made her chuckle. She was still chuckling when she entered her cabin. The single room was pitch-dark, but Candace moved with the confidence of familiarity over to where a lamp rested on a table in the center of the small room. Feeling for a match, she struck it and lighted the lamp.

"Hello," a masculine voice said from the shadows behind her.

Candace cried out in alarm, the lamp chimney slipping from her startled fingers. It smashed onto the floor as she whirled to face the voice.

The man stepped into the circle of light. An evil smile twisted his coffee-colored face, and his brown eyes glittered ominously.

Candace looked up at that face. "Who are you?" she asked with false bravado, one dark hand pressed to her clamoring heart.

The man stepped closer, making Candace aware of how huge he was, how powerful. And how dangerous. "Don't you know me, Mama?" he asked, tilting his head as if such a possibility were inconceivable.

Candace stared at him. The flickering lamp cast eerie shadows over the room, increasing her sense of unreality while she studied the stranger's face, a face that was as familiar as her own. "Jeremiah," she whispered, not wanting to believe it but knowing she was right all the same. Jeremiah. Her Jeremiah. But not at all the way she remembered him.

"Ah, so you do remember me," he said, taking another step toward her. Instinctively, she backed away until she bumped the table. Her hands clutched convulsively against its edge. "I thought maybe you'd forgotten that you even had a son," he added, his voice tinged with sarcasm.

"No!" she said, and her mother's heart echoed, "Never!"

But something told her not to say it to him, not to reveal the depth of her emotions. The fright she had felt upon first hearing his voice only increased now that she knew his identity and heard the hatred in his voice. "What… what are you doing in Texas?" she asked, trying to still the tremor in her own voice but only partially Succeeding.

"This and that. Mostly I came to see the place that might've been my home if my loving mama had brought me along with her when she left." His lips were still twisted in that parody of a smile, but Candace could feel the hate emanating from him like a palpable force. She swallowed to ease her dry throat.

"I couldn't bring you here. You must know that," she said, still trying to remain calm. Surely someone had explained it to him, how she had begged to bring him along and how they had refused to let her. How she had left him with her mother to raise, knowing that at least he would be well loved and taken care of.

If so, he gave no indication. Instead he said, "I also wanted to see Joshua Logan, the boy you raised instead of me."

The implication was vicious and Candace gasped. "I didn't-" she began, but he cut her off.

"Oh yes, you did," he corrected maliciously, closing the small distance remaining between them. "And don't try to tell me they wouldn't let you come back home. Mrs. Logan told me different. She was only too happy to tell me different, time and time again, over and over and over." His hands came up, clutching at her shoulders until Candace cried out in pain. "She told me how she wanted you to come back with her, back home to your son, but you wouldn't come. You wouldn't leave the other boy."

The loathing in his eyes was a flame that seared her very soul, but that pain was nothing compared to the old agonies she had endured, the agony of leaving him behind in the first place, so long ago. She had to make him understand. "But you were twelve years old then, practically a man, and I'd been gone since you were three. You wouldn't even have known me! And you didn't need me! You had my mother and my sisters. They raised you! They loved you, didn't they?" she challenged.

Something flickered in those hate-filled eyes, a hint of secret torments, and Candace continued desperately. "Joshua was so little and he didn't have anyone! His mother left him and he only had his father…"

Those dark eyes grew cold again. "Oh yes, his father," he repeated mockingly. "We all have to do what his father says, don't we? He wouldn't let you bring me along to Texas because a little nigger bastard might embarrass Mrs. Logan, isn't that right?" But he didn't pause for her reply. "And when he wanted you to stay here, you stayed here, with his son!"

At the time her reasons had seemed so important, but in the face of his hostility, she knew they were meaningless. The words she would have spoken in explanation died on her lips. She spoke the only ones that still seemed to matter. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Sorry!" he exploded, shoving her away from him in disgust. The table behind her toppled with a crash, and she fell amidst the broken glass. A shard sliced the palm of her hand, but she did not even feel the pain.

His hands balled into fists as if he would strike her, and that was when Candace noticed the guns he wore. Two guns, slung low on his hips and tied down to his lean thighs the way a gunfighter would wear them. "No!" she murmured in protest at what her son had become.

But he misunderstood her. "Don't beg! I'm not going to hurt you," he informed her with contempt. "Even though I have every reason to kill you for what you did to me, I'm going to let you live so you can see what I've got planned for Joshua Logan."

"No! Not Joshua!" she cried, scrambling to her feet. She could not let the two of them fight. If they did, she knew one of them would not survive, and she could not bear to lose either of them. "I'm the one who hurt you! Joshua never did anything to you!" In desperation, she grabbed at his arms.

Jeremiah's broad mouth curled into that evil smile again. "He stole everything that should have belonged to me. I'm going to get a little of it back. I might even take his bride!"

"No!" Candace screamed, frantically clutching at him as if she might somehow shake him loose from his evil intentions.

But he shoved her away again. She staggered, almost falling. "Don't do this, Jeremiah, please!" she begged, but he only laughed, a horrible sound that sent prickles of terror racing down her spine.

Then she noticed the crimson stain on his sleeve. "You're bleeding," she said with genuine concern.

He glanced down to where she was pointing and plucked at his sleeve in momentary confusion. Then he noticed her hand. "That's your blood, old woman. How fitting. Your blood in me and now on me. It's like a baptism. And pretty soon, with a little luck, I'll have Logan's blood, too!"

With that awful promise, he slipped silently out the door and disappeared into the shadows of the ranch yard. "Wait!" she called, but he was gone. For one instant she considered raising an alarm, calling out the men to hunt him down and bring him back. Then common sense stopped her. He had, after all, done nothing except threaten and frighten her. Perhaps that was all he wanted to do; perhaps that would be enough to satisfy his craving for revenge. Although her mind knew she was grasping at straws, her mother's heart longed to believe the lie. She remained silent, weeping in the doorway until the throbbing in her hand grew so intense, she could no longer ignore it.

Josh awoke with a start, disoriented and confused to find himself still abed with the sun shining so brightly outside. And what was wrong with the bed? The sides were so high and… Then he remembered. He turned his head on the pillow and smiled. All he could see was a cloud of yellow hair. She was lying on her stomach, her face buried in the pillow, one hand stuffed beneath it.

Still smiling, he reached over and brushed the silken hair away from her cheek. Asleep, she again resembled the child he had once thought her. No trace remained of the tigress who had driven him insane last night. His smile faded as he wondered if it had really been as wonderful as he remembered. All he was really certain of was that he had never made love to a woman so completely before. He had wanted to devour her, to absorb her into himself. Even the piercing pleasure he recalled so vividly had not been quite enough to satisfy him.

A slight sense of unease prickled against his skin, and he turned onto his side to study her face. As he did, his disquiet grew. Emotions he had hoped never to feel again churned inside him, the same emotions he had experienced after the first time they had made love. That time he had blamed them on guilt, but he no longer needed to feel guilty. He had married her. He had made everything right. Last night was sanctioned both legally and morally.

And still he felt the weakness, that debilitating weakness he knew could destroy him. He wanted her, of course. He understood that much of it. She was the most desirable woman he had ever known. But there was more. There was the need, the need that having her simply did not satisfy. In fact, having her only made it worse.

Josh frowned down at her lovely face. How could so tiny a creature be having such a profound effect on him? He considered this question for a long moment before shrugging it off. Really, he was being top analytical about the whole thing. He wanted her and he had her. She would share his bed every night for the rest of his life. Surely in the course of the next fifty years he would be able to slake this mysterious desire. At least he would have a lot of fun trying, he decided.

His smile returned.

He leaned down and kissed her sleep-flushed cheek at the exact spot where her dimple would appear. Slowly, her eyes opened, and gradually recognition dawned. "Good morning, Mrs. Logan," he said.

Felicity blinked at the brilliance of his smile. How handsome he looked with his silver hair falling in his eyes and his jaw shaded with dark stubble. Her own lips stretched into an answering smile. "Good morning, Mr. Logan," she replied impishly.

His eyebrows arched with disapproval. "Are we back to 'Mr. Logan' again? Last night you called me 'Joshua,'" he reminded her wickedly.

Felicity blushed furiously at the memory of how she had sobbed out his name. His fingers reached out to lovingly stroke her burning cheek. "What do I have to do to get you to call me that again?" he taunted.

Certain he was teasing her, Felicity hastily scrambled up to a sitting position, being extremely careful to keep herself covered with the sheet. Where on earth was her nightdress? she wondered. Could she really have slept all night in bed with Mr. Logan without any clothes at all? "It's awfully late," she said, squinting at the partially draped window. "I guess we'd better be getting up."

"Not so fast, Mrs. Logan," he said, capturing her arm and drawing her back down beside him. "I'd like to enjoy my wife once more before I do that."

Felicity stared at him in disbelief. Now she was certain he was teasing. "It… it's broad daylight," she pointed out, even though her lower limbs were already starting to melt against his.

His gray eyes danced. "I don't think I can wait until dark," he said, pressing the heat of his desire against her thigh.

She gasped, but his words stirred an unpleasant memory. "You didn't have any trouble waiting last night," she said aloud before she could stop herself.

He frowned, obviously confused.

"You kept me waiting for an hour," she reminded him, angered anew at that slight even though she knew she should not mention it. She knew only too well that men didn't like women who were shrewish, and here she was nagging him on her very first day as his wife.

But to her surprise, he smiled. "Did you miss me?" he asked hopefully.

Felicity gasped in outrage, but when she would have pulled away, he threw a leg over hers, pinning her to the bed. "Did you really think I stayed away on purpose?" he asked, grinning down into her furious face. "I had to stay there and drink with them because if they'd thought I was trying to get away, they would have guessed where I was going and followed me. I wouldn't have liked that one bit. Would you?" he asked cheerfully.

She tried to think this over, but the heat of his body seemed to be melting her brain. "N… no," she finally admitted, forcing herself to study his chest so she would not see the teasing look in his eyes. The hair on his chest was black, lightly sprinkled with silver. Although her fingers itched to touch it, she kept them tightly clutched into the sheet that still guarded her modesty.

"Lissy," he whispered.

Instinctively, she raised her gaze to his.

"I'm going to make love to you again," he said. His eyes were smoldering charcoal.

Felicity swallowed the lump in her throat. "In the daylight?" she asked apprehensively. There were things she did not want him to see, and not just the parts of her hidden under the sheet.

"Yes, in the daylight," he said, gently pulling the sheet loose from her grasp and confirming her worst fears. "This time I want to see your face when you say my name."

* * *

"I'm telling you, Asa, they've disappeared off the face of the earth!"

Asa Gordon nodded understanding. He could readily sympathize with Smythe's frustration. The poor man had been chasing rabbits for months now, and still no sign of Storm or the girl. "Do you think they're dead?" he asked.

The two men were in a stuffy hotel room in San Antonio. Asa lounged on the sagging bed and Smythe straddled a rickety straight-backed chair.

"I don't know," Smythe grumbled. "But even if they were, somebody would've seen that wagon. It looks like one of them medicine show wagons, all painted up fancy. I'm starting to think they must've left Texas altogether. Maybe they went north, or west."

Asa shook his head. "I don't think so. The old man might be scared, but he wouldn't take the girl into Indian territory. Too dangerous. And there's still some Comanches on the loose out West." He considered Storm's third option for a moment. "I doubt he'd go east, either. Seems that he once swore he'd never even let the girl back across the Mississippi. He was a fanatic about protecting her. No, I think they're still here, somewhere. Maybe they got rid of the wagon, maybe they changed their names and took up a new profession, but I'd bet a month's pay they're still in Texas."

In spite of his apparent confidence, Asa was really going more on gut instinct than anything else. He had learned to trust that instinct, and even though he had never met Storm, he believed he understood how the man's mind worked. The photographer might crawl into a hole somewhere, pull it in after him, and stay hidden for a while, but he would never risk the girl's life, nor would he take a chance on people and places about which he knew nothing. Sooner or later, they would surface again, and when they did, Asa would hear about it.

"I'll start in the town where they disappeared." Seeing Smythe's disgruntled frown, he smiled placatingly. "I know you've already questioned everybody there, but I'll be a new face. I've got a good cover story, too, one that'll make people eager to help me. Maybe somebody will remember something new. Now, I need some advice on a rooming house that I can use as a base of operations. Any suggestions?"

"The one where I'm staying is fine," Smythe offered.

Asa shook his head. "No, I've seen your landlady. She's too skinny. Skinny women are never good cooks," he said with a sly smile.

"Oh, I forgot your preferences there for a minute," Smythe said, returning the smile. "I think I know just the place you're looking for."

Chapter Seven

"I wish I had my camera," Felicity said wistfully, resting her chin on her updrawn knees and gazing longingly at the way the clear, blue Texas sky canopied the rolling prairie.

Josh stretched out on the blanket, carefully avoiding the remains of their picnic, and propped himself up on one elbow. "Why?" he asked, smiling as he watched the gentle breeze tease at her hair. He had, in fact, spent most of the four days since his wedding smiling. He could not remember ever feeling so content.

"Because this tree is absolutely beautiful," she said, indicating the huge cottonwood under which they sat. "With the creek behind it and my handsome husband in front of it, the whole thing would make a wonderful photograph."

"With me in front of it!" Josh repeated in amazement, and then he saw her teasing grin. With a growl, he reached out and grabbed her, dragging her across the blanket and into his arms.

"Mr. Logan! Someone will see us!" Felicity warned, laughing and squirming against him in a mockery of her words.

"There's nobody within miles of this place," he argued, using his tongue to tickle her neck. Still, he knew she was right. Someone just might come along. He would have to restrain himself. Sighing with resignation, he pulled back slightly so he could see her face. To get his mind off what her glittering eyes were suggesting, he said, "Why would you like to take my picture again?"

A little startled at the question and more than a little breathless from his nearness, she hesitated a moment before replying, not quite certain she wanted him to know the true reason. The fact was that she adored him, and she would never be able to take enough photographs of him.

"You take a very good picture," she hedged, "and now I think I even know how to get you to smile," she added with another grin. All she had to do, it seemed, was be there. He smiled at her all the time now, a smile that indicated he was delighted with her. She basked in the glow of that delight, thrilled beyond measure that she pleased him as much as he pleased her. Their married life had thus far consisted of passionate nights during which she learned things about her body she had never even suspected and things about her husband she had never dreamed. Those nights alternated with days like this one, days so idyllic she sometimes thought she must be imagining all of it. Never in her life had she been so happy or felt so secure. All the shadowy fears that had followed her across the plains of Texas were gone now.

"I'd like to have a picture of you, too," he said, settling her more comfortably in his arms and inhaling the sweet woman-scent of her body.

She laughed at the idea as she reached up to stroke his cheek. "Why do you need a picture? You see me every day."

Josh shrugged, unable to explain his reasons since he did not understand them himself. Instead he teased her. "So when you're old and fat, I can remember why I married you."

"Ohhhh!" she cried, trying to punch him, but he smothered her struggles and planted a kiss on her outraged mouth.

"Yes," he mused when she again lay still in his arms, "I'd like to have a picture of you looking just the way you look right now."

"That might be a little tricky…" she said softly, rubbing her nose against the whiskery point of his chin.

He grinned wickedly. "Not as tricky as the photograph I'd really like. What I'd really like is a picture of you just when you call me 'Joshua.'"

Felicity gasped at this reference to their lovemaking, still the only time she ever called him by his given name. She should not have been shocked. From the things he had said to her in the few days since their marriage, she should have realized that he was liable to say just anything, no matter how outrageous. But she had learned some tricks herself in those few days. "Well," she said, pretending to consider the possibility, "I had been thinking that Cody could take a wedding portrait of us…"

"What!" Josh shouted before he noticed the teasing twinkle in her eye. "You little…" He wrestled her to the ground and tickled her until she screamed for mercy.

"Stop! Please! I can't stand it!" she shrieked, and finally he let her go, pulling back and turning partially away from her as if he were affronted.

"A wedding portrait," he grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest indignantly.

Struggling to regain her breath and her composure, Felicity could not even manage to sit up, so she lay there limply on the blanket, laughing at his pique. "We really should have a wedding portrait made," she ventured after a while, trying to sound perfectly serious. "A traditional one, I mean," she clarified when he cocked an eyebrow at her.

He thought this over. "We could go to San Antonio. There's a studio there. It's not far, and we could stay a few days. It could be our honeymoon," he suggested. He still felt a little guilty for not taking her on a wedding trip, but he simply could not afford to be away from the ranch for any length of time during the spring. Ortega would be acting up again and…

"This is my honeymoon," Felicity corrected, instantly sobered, "and I like it just fine. I don't want to go to San Antonio or anyplace else."

"Not even New Orleans or St. Louis?" he said, trying to tempt her. "We could go in a few months, stay as long as you like____________________"

"I told you before, I don't want to go anywhere," she insisted, unaware that he was only baiting her.

"Why not?" Josh taunted, more than willing to hear her repeat her reasons. They had had this discussion last week, before the wedding. He did not think he would ever tire of it.

"Because," she said, sitting up again, "I've traveled all my life, and now that I have a real home, I want to stay here." Besides, she added silently, for the first time in my life I feel truly safe, and as long as I'm here, in your home, no one can be following me. But she didn't say that aloud. Instead, she said, "Anyway, I've been to San Antonio, and I don't-"

Josh silenced her with a kiss, a joyous, grateful, happy kiss. "I'm glad you like it here," he said when they were both breathless.

Felicity reached up and tenderly brushed a lock of silver hair off his forehead as she wondered why such a simple thing should please him so much. The answer came to her with surprising clarity: because of his mother. Hadn't Blanche warned her that he did not trust women because his mother had deserted him? No wonder he was glad that she liked his home and never wanted to leave it. She only wished she could assure him that she would never do what Amelia Logan had done, but he did not like to talk about her. At one point during their "honeymoon" he had started to tell her about his mother, and he had been quite relieved to learn that Blanche had already done so. He never mentioned the subject again, although he told her many other things about himself.

"I like your ranch very much, Mr. Logan," she said with a smile, coming as close as she dared to reassuring him.

"I own it all, you know," he said, pulling her back into his lap. "A lot of ranchers don't bother to file on their land. They figure the cattle is the only important thing, but my father always said that the land was what mattered. It would be here long after we're dead and gone. They'd only let him file on a few sections at a time, so he staked his claims in a checkerboard pattern so nobody could hedge him out until he could claim the rest."

Felicity nodded, acknowledging her father-in-law's cleverness and marveling at her husband's pride in his heritage. "He left you quite a legacy," she remarked, thinking of how little her own father had accumulated in his life in spite of all his hard work.

"And we'll have it to pass on. It will be here a hundred years from now, and Logans will still own it," Josh said, his eyes shining with this vision of the future.

But Felicity only half heard him. She was still thinking about her father. Gideon Logan had his memorial, but Caleb Storm had left nothing except the knowledge he had passed along to her. If she let that die… "Joshua, will you bring me out here with my wagon someday soon so I can photograph this place?"

Josh's attention snapped quickly from the future back to the present. His smile was slow and lazy. "I'll do anything you want when you call me 'Joshua.'"

Knowing she had made a tactical error, Felicity tried to slip out of his grasp, but she was too late. He was already drawing her close to his chest. "We can't-" she began, but once more he silenced her quite effectively.

His kiss was long and lingering. With his tongue, he explored the sensitive recesses of her mouth, and with his hands he stroked her body to quivering response. Felicity clung to him, savoring anew his strength and power, thankful beyond words that such a man had chosen her as his wife.

When he lifted his mouth from hers, she was literally panting, but her breath caught in outrage when she saw the teasing glint in his silvery eyes.

"Mrs. Logan!" he remonstrated. "What are you doing? We can't possibly make love out here in front of God and everybody. Someone might come along and see us…" His voice trailed off as he pretended to quail under the ineffectual thrashing Felicity was giving him.

"Oh, stop, please! I can't stand it!" he begged in a high-pitched wail apparently intended to be an imitation of her own voice.

"You are a wicked, evil man," Felicity decreed, giving him one last shove which he pretended sent him sprawling across the blanket.

"Yes, I am," he replied, capturing her hand and pulling her down beside him.

And I love you madly, she thought, but she did not say it aloud. She was still uncertain how he would react to such a declaration, and she did not want to do anything to spoil this wonderful moment. "Humph," she muttered instead, pretending to pout.

"Now," he said, settling her comfortably in the crook of his arm and leaning over so he could watch her lovely face. "Tell me the story about the little boy who was so scared of the camera he threw up."

"Not again!" Felicity moaned in protest. She had told him a dozen humorous anecdotes from her previous life, but he seemed to enjoy this particular one out of all proportion to its levity. Perhaps his enjoyment hinged on the way she always blushed when she told it, she suddenly realized, noting the way he grinned as she felt her cheeks growing hot. "Well, there was this little boy…" she began with long-suffering.

When, much later, Josh and Felicity drove their buggy into the ranch yard, the men had just returned from their day of work. Josh lifted his hand in greeting as they passed the group clustered near the corral in conversation, but so engrossed were they that they barely looked up to return the greeting.

Felicity noticed that Joshua was frowning when he reached up to help her down from the buggy. "Do you think something is wrong?" she asked, painfully aware that the idyll they had enjoyed all day had suddenly ended.

He forced a smile. "Probably nothing serious. I just want to go see what Grady and the men are talking about," he said, reaching behind the buggy seat and pulling out their picnic basket. "Here, take this over to the house. I'll be along in a minute."

Reluctantly, Felicity did as he bid, watching apprehensively as he strode over to the group by the corrals. She waited inside the house for a few minutes, until she heard him approaching the front porch. She recognized his voice and Grady's in conversation, but Grady's voice sounded odd, as if he were agitated about something.

Unable to stand the suspense any longer, Felicity hurried to the door and threw it open. Josh stood at the bottom of the porch stairs with his back to her as he faced Grady. From the look on Grady's face, they weren't discussing the weather. She heard the name "Ortega," and her apprehension prickled into fear.

"Ortega's men have never been this organized or this serious," Grady was protesting. "It seems like whoever is taking the cattle is trying to wipe you out."

"But you said the men you chased were Mexicans," Josh insisted.

"Yeah, and I think one of them might've even been Ortega, but the one who spotted us was a colored man. From the way they followed him, I think he might be the leader now. They picked up and ran like they knew where they were going, and then they disappeared into thin air. Ortega's men would've just headed on back across the border to wait for next year, but I'll bet my hat that these fellows will be back tomorrow."

"I'm telling you, Josh, whoever is behind this knows what he's doing and isn't likely to be scared off." Grady looked like he had more to say, but he caught sight of Felicity standing in the doorway, and cleared his throat. "Evening, Mrs. Logan," he said, letting Josh know that they had an audience.

Felicity smiled a greeting at Grady, but her eyes were on Joshua, who turned the moment Grady spoke her name. She watched in amazement as his worried frown vanished behind an appreciative smile. "Evening, Mrs. Logan," he mimicked, his gray eyes taking her in from head to foot and back again as if he hadn't spent the whole day with her and was starved for the sight of her. He started up the steps, pausing just a moment to tell Grady, "We'll talk about this after supper." Neither Josh nor Felicity even heard his reply.

"Did you miss me?" Josh inquired roguishly, slipping an arm around her waist to guide her back into the house.

"Terribly," she confessed with only a slight exaggeration, hoping her smile did not look as strained as it felt.

"You can show me how much later," he whispered, making her blush and wiping all thoughts of Ortega temporarily from her mind.

For the first few minutes of the evening meal, Felicity sat serenely at the end of the table opposite her husband, surrounded by the golden glow of contentment. Her marriage was working out even better than she could have hoped. In spite of the fact that Joshua had spent practically every waking moment with her for the past four days, he hadn't gotten bored. If anything, he seemed more eager for her than ever. And when they were alone, right after supper…

Felicity's thoughts snagged on the phrase "after supper." That was when Joshua was going to talk to Grady about the rustlers. Her serenity shattered as she recalled Grady's insistence that these were no ordinary rustlers. What would this mean to Joshua… and to her?

Sure enough, immediately after supper, Josh and Grady went off alone. Restless, Felicity pulled her shawl from its peg by the door and wandered out onto the porch. Wrapping the soft folds of the knitted shawl around her, she breathed in the scent of spring. Soon the bluebonnets would bloom and the grass would green up, an outward sign of the new life that had already begun for her. She really would get Joshua to take her out so she could photograph the ranch, and not just their picnic spot either. During the past few days, he had given her a complete tour of his land, and she had seen several other excellent possibilities for shots. And she would get Cody to help her make a wedding portrait. A traditional wedding portrait, she corrected mentally, smiling at the memory of Joshua's earlier suggestion on the subject. Cody would be thrilled to help, even if she and Joshua were respectably posed.

Absorbed in her plans, she did not at first identify the strange noise that teased at the fringes of her consciousness, but after a few minutes, the odd sound drew her attention. Listening intently, she distinguished it from the sounds the men were making in the lamplight bunkhouse and the murmur of conversation drifting over from where Josh and Grady stood near the barn. It was a muffled keening, so muffled that Felicity had a difficult time locating it. When she did, she was stunned to discover it came from Candace, who sat huddled in the shadows at the end of the porch.

"Candace, what is it? What's wrong?" she asked in alarm, kneeling in the dust beside her.

Candace straightened immediately, using her good hand to scrub away the tears. "Nothing; I'm fine, miss," she said, although her voice was still husky from weeping. The white from her bandaged hand gleamed in the darkness, reminding Felicity of her accident.

"Is it your hand? Is it hurting you? Maybe we should soak it so it doesn't get infected," Felicity suggested. She had been surprised to see the bandage on Candace's hand the day after the wedding. Candace had brushed aside Felicity's concern, though, explaining that she had carelessly cut her hand on broken glass and that it wasn't serious. Now Felicity wasn't so sure.

"Yes, yes, it's my hand," Candace agreed too quickly. "You're right, I'll soak it." She began to rise, and Felicity helped her get to her feet.

"What were you doing out here in the dark anyway?" Felicity asked, suddenly realizing how odd it was to find Candace not only weeping, but sitting on the ground to do it.

"Acting like an old fool, I guess," Candace said, laughing unconvincingly.

"I'll walk you back to your cabin and help you get some water boiling," Felicity offered, taking Candace's arm, but the other woman shook her head.

"Don't be silly," she said with all the authority of Joshua Logan's mammy. "Besides, your husband's coming. He'll want to see you now," she added, gesturing to where Josh was walking toward the house, having left Grady at last. "You go on now," she said, patting the hand Felicity had placed on her arm.

Reluctantly, Felicity began to turn from the black woman, but Candace suddenly grabbed her hand, restraining her for one last moment. "You tell Mr. Josh to be careful when he goes after those rustlers, you hear?" she whispered urgently.

"Yes, yes, I will," Felicity replied as a shiver of fear danced up her spine. Before Felicity could say more, Candace slipped silently away into the darkness.

"Who were you talking to?" Josh asked as he approached.

"Candace," she replied, trying to banish the sound of fear from her voice.

"Ahhh," he said, a smile in his voice. "And what plots were you making out here in the dark?"

"We were just wondering what plots you and Grady were making out here in the dark," she replied, forcing herself to match his bantering tone.

"Nothing very mysterious," he replied, slipping an arm around her shoulders and directing her toward the front steps. "That bandit Ortega is back stealing my cattle again, and we're going to go after him."

"But Grady said…" she began, pausing when she realized she wasn't supposed to know what Grady had said.

"Has Grady been talking to you about this?" Josh asked, his displeasure obvious.

"Oh no," she assured him. "I just overheard what he was saying to you this afternoon about how he didn't think-"

"Well, he's wrong," Josh interrupted as they mounted the porch steps. "Grady's worse than an old maid, always seeing trouble that isn't there. We'll just go out and chase them off, and that will be that. The worst part is that I'll have to leave you. I may be away for several days. I guess our honeymoon is officially over," he said with regret, but before Felicity could register the pain the thought of his leaving caused her, he added, "Will you miss me?"

This was the second time today he had asked her that question, and this time he really looked as if the answer was important. "Of course," she said, feeling the anguish of separation already.

"Then come in here and show me how much," he challenged with a provocative grin, drawing her toward their bedroom.

"Mr. Logan!" she chided him, feeling the delicious tingle of anticipation quivering inside her. "It's too early to go to sleep."

"Oh, we won't be going to sleep for a long, long time," he promised, shutting the bedroom door behind them.

"Is it very dangerous?" Felicity asked the next morning, watching Joshua pull a change of clothing from a dresser drawer.

He turned back to face her, an amused smile on his face. "Not very," he said, carrying the clothes over to where he had his bedroll spread out on the huge mahogany bed. "We chase Ortega every year. It's like a game. He tries to steal as many of my cattle as he can before we notice, and then we run him off back across the border."

"Only this time you're going to try to catch him, aren't you?" she asked. Candace had told her about Ortega. In years past, things had been exactly the way Josh explained, but this year was different. Grady had once jokingly remarked that usually Josh lost more cattle to wolves than to the Mexican, but that was no longer true. This year Ortega- or someone-was stealing cattle in earnest.

"I always try to catch Ortega," Joshua said, but Felicity knew his words were as much a lie as the unconcerned expression on his face. He was trying to protect her, to keep from frightening her, and that frightened her more than anything.

Then she remembered Candace's request. "You'll be careful, won't you?" she asked, moving across the room to stand beside him. She hugged herself to keep from reaching out to him. If she did, she was afraid she would cling and start to cry and beg him not to go. She loved him so much that the thought of losing him was more than she could bear.

He straightened from the task of packing his bedroll and turned toward her. "Of course I'll be careful," he said, lifting one long finger to touch the furrow between her brows. "Now, don't look so unhappy. You'll ruin that pretty face."

Felicity consciously relaxed her frown, at least on the outside, taking some small comfort from his compliment. He was always complimenting her. He thought she was pretty. He thought she was beautiful. He liked the way she smelled and felt and tasted. Everything about her seemed to please him, especially when they were in bed together. And the quarrels had stopped, just as she had hoped.

If only he would talk to her, really talk to her. When she had asked him last night to tell her what was really going on, he had laughed off her concerns and kissed her, making her forget all about her worries, at least for the moment. She should have been grateful that he seemed to like her so well, that he seemed so pleased with his choice of a bride. Instead she tortured herself by wondering how he really felt about her. He might like her, but he couldn't possibly love her, not the way she loved him, not if he was going to put himself in danger.

With a small, anguished cry, she flung herself at him, no longer able to contain her emotions. Wrapping her arms around him in desperation, she bit down hard on hex lip to keep from weeping. Men hated it when women made an emotional scene. Her father had warned her of that. But even though she did not say them aloud, her mind screamed the words, "Don't go!"

A little surprised, Josh hesitated only a moment before returning her embrace. As always, he marveled at how tiny she felt in his arms. Because of the enormous importance she had assumed in his life, he somehow expected her to have grown larger.

He ran his hands up and down her back to smooth the tension from her body. She was soft and warm beneath his touch. In the five days since their marriage, she had never once initiated physical contact. He found the fact that she had now unbearably arousing. Wants and needs mingled until they were indistinguishable.

"I have half a mind to tumble you before I leave, Lissy," he murmured into the silkiness of her hair.

A familiar ache throbbed deep inside her in instant response. She smiled against his chest despite her terror, thankful that he still wanted her even though he was determined to leave her. To bait him, she pulled back slightly, puckering her smile into a disapproving frown. "You already did, right before breakfast," she reminded him.

He glared at her in mock exasperation. "Well, now that I think about it, seems like I remember something of the kind. Or at least, my mind does. Other parts of me have forgotten completely," he teased.

"Mr. Logan!" she goaded, using her last weapon.

"I warned you about calling me that," he growled, sweeping aside his bedroll with one hand and yanking her down onto the bed with the other.

A brief but blissful time later, they lay sated in the tangle of her petticoats. His head rested contentedly on her breast as she idly stroked the silver of his hair. "Joshua?" she whispered.

"Hmmm?" he murmured, nuzzling the still-stiff peak of her breast through the thin calico of her dress.

She tried to stop the words but they came out anyway, of their own volition. "I'm so afraid!"

His head came up instantly, his expression worried. "Of what?" he asked, even though he had a pretty good idea he already knew the answer.

Felicity swallowed, trying desperately not to cry. "I've lost everyone I ever… cared about," she began, not quite willing to use the word "love" yet. "First my mother and then my father and now…"

"You're not going to lose me," he promised vehemently, rising up on his elbows to loom over her. "Not when I've only just found you." He pressed his mouth to hers, determined to stop this conversation. After a long, sweet time, he raised his lips from hers, satisfied that he had distracted her from her fears.

Those emotions that he did not understand roiled inside of him, threatening to erupt in declarations he had no intention of making. He was certain it was only this intense physical desire he felt for her, along with his need to protect her, that reduced him to a sentimental idiot. His reactions were only natural. She was his wife, after all.

He forced himself to grin down at her, and then he ran a hand playfully along her bare hip. "Good Lord, woman! If you don't leave me alone, I'll never get packed. Grady's liable to come looking for me if I don't get out there soon!"

Josh rose reluctantly, knowing that this time he had to wipe out Ortega and his gang once and for all. The ranch that had always meant so much to him took on added importance when he thought of Felicity and the family she would give him. He must preserve his heritage for them. And when he thought of the bandits as a present danger to Felicity's safety, his blood ran cold. Even the usually unflappable Candace had cautioned him this morning about leaving a guard at the ranch to watch over his bride.

Felicity let him go, but she noticed that his smile did not quite reach his eyes. Her answering smile was wan and couldn't erase the shadows from her own eyes, but she managed to help him reassemble his bedroll.

She did not cry until he was out of sight.

"Mr. Josh?" Candace called to him from the barn doorway.

"Over here," he replied from where he was saddling his favorite horse, the Appaloosa he had ridden the day he first found Felicity.

Candace paused at the entrance to the stall and watched him tighten the girth. She waited until he looked up. "Mr. Josh, you be careful now," she said.

For a moment Josh had the disconcerting impression that she was actually wringing her hands in apprehension. But of course, Candace had never been apprehensive in her life. She was only rubbing the bandage on her cut hand. He frowned, wondering briefly if the injury was really more serious than she had claimed. How unlike her to be so careless with broken glass. And how unlike her to caution him to be careful, unless she was teasing. Except she wasn't teasing.

"Candace," he chided her good-naturedly, "I've chased Ortega a dozen times. Are you afraid I'm getting careless in my old age?"

But Candace did not smile at his banter, as he had expected her to. "There's somebody new with him this year. I heard you and Grady talking about him last night."

"So that's why you were sneaking around in the shadows," he tried again.

She still did not smile. "Grady said he's a colored man. You have to look out for him, Joshua," she warned, stepping closer so she could lower her voice.

"Why? Who is he?" he asked, more disturbed by her uncharacteristically furtive manner than by her words.

She hesitated, as if still undecided about what to tell him. "His name is Jeremiah, and he's… he's my son."

"Your son?" Josh echoed incredulously. A thousand questions flooded his mind, but before he could voice any of them, she was speaking again.

"Yes, my son. I had him years before I came here with your parents, back when I belonged to your grandfather. Jeremiah was three when I came here. They wouldn't let me bring him, so I left him with my mother. But he never forgave me for leaving him, and now he wants to take it out on you…" Her voice trailed off as she realized she was only confusing him with her explanations.

"How do you know all this?" he asked after a moment of consideration.

Candace lowered her eyes, unconsciously rubbing her bandaged hand again. "He came to see me the night you got married…"

Suddenly everything fell into place. "Did he do that to your hand?" Josh demanded.

"No! That was an accident," she assured him.

"He was the man Hankins saw in town, wasn't he?" Josh continued, undaunted.

Candace nodded, unwilling to trust her voice.

That explained everything, why Hankins had said the man resembled Candace, why he had been asking about her, why he had not shown himself to anyone else… and why he had seemed so dangerous. "Did he threaten you?" Josh asked gently, instinctively placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"No, I don't think he means to do me any harm. He wants to hurt me by hurting you. He thinks…"

"He thinks what?" Josh insisted when she did not continue.

"He thinks that I loved you more than I loved him," she said, her voice an agonized whisper. "Because I stayed here to raise you instead of going back to Virginia when…"

"When my mother left," he finished for her. "My God, the man must be crazy. If he wanted revenge, why did he wait all this time?"

But Candace had no answer. "Just be careful. And Joshua…"

"Yes?" he asked, more disturbed than he wanted to admit at seeing her so upset.

"If you can… unless you have to… don't have his blood on your hands. Turn him over to the law. Please, for my sake," she begged, clutching at his vest.

He nodded, patting her shoulder reassuringly. He had no desire to kill Candace's son, no matter what the man may have threatened. "For your sake," he promised.

"How many of them do you see?" Grady whispered.

Josh squinted into the field glasses and scanned the scene below one last time. "I count six," he said. "Here, you take a look." He passed the glasses to Grady and glanced back over his shoulder. The rest of his men were still out of sight. Good. They had been lucky, he thought, spotting the smoke from the rustlers' branding fire. Now it seemed their luck was holding.

"Six of them and six of us," Grady confirmed. "I only see that one guard."

"Well then, let's back off this ridge before they spot us," Josh said. As he crept back under cover of the brush, he could not seem to erase the memory of that one guard from his mind. Even if he had not known the black man was Candace's son, he would have suspected they were related. They shared the same regal bearing, the same proud carriage. The man called Jeremiah sat his huge bay gelding with an arrogance that even generations of slavery had not been able to breed out of him. He cradled his Winchester rifle with an assurance that said he knew exactly how to use it, too. He would, Josh understood instinctively, be the most dangerous member of the gang.

When Josh and Grady rejoined the rest of their men, Josh quickly gave them a description of the area and the position of the rustlers. "They've got about a hundred head down there, and only one guard that we could see."

"Pretty gutsy, if you ask me," Grady muttered. "That Ortega's slipped his leash for the last time."

"This is our chance to make sure of that," Josh said. "Now, here's the plan."

As the other men rode into position, Josh found himself wondering how Felicity was making out back at the ranch alone. Not that she was really alone, of course. He had left Gus and Cody with her. Between the two of them, and Cookie and Candace, his wife was well protected, or as well protected as common sense, raw courage, and blind devotion could make her. Cookie and Candace would provide the sense while Gus and Cody would supply the rest. Still, in spite of the fact that he himself would soon be riding into a running gun battle, he could not help worrying more for her safety than his own. In one blinding moment of insight, he recalled his father's admonitions about trusting- and loving-other people. For the first time in his life he understood the reason behind it: Human life was simply too fragile. When Josh thought of how easily one careless shot could snuff out Felicity's life, he shuddered.

But no careless shot was going to come near her, he reminded himself, drawing his pistol to check the loads.

Against his will, he remembered the frightened look in her blue eyes when he had strapped the gun on earlier that morning. The memory warmed a place in his heart that had been cold for a long time. Suddenly he was in an almighty hurry to get this little matter settled so he could go home again. Home to his wife.

Josh and his men rode in with guns blazing. Although it was virtually impossible to hit anything when shooting from a galloping horse, they fired to frighten the cattle into a stampede. And stampede they did, right toward the man called Jeremiah. Josh caught a glimpse of the bay gelding rearing in surprise before the action close at hand demanded his attention.

The two Mexicans who had been working the branding fire were running toward their horses, shooting as they went. Josh reined up, taking a bead on the stocky one he identified as Ortega. He felt the gun buck in his hand and saw a crimson stain burst on the bandit's shirt. Above the thunder of the cattle and the roar of gunfire, Josh heard a shrill cry, but the man did not go down. Instead he turned and dashed for the tethered horses.

Grady had run down the other man, knocking him to the ground where he lay either unconscious or dead. Josh was just spurring his horse to go after Ortega when someone shouted, "Mr. Logan, look out!"

Ducking automatically, he felt the whine of the bullet speeding past his ear. Turning, he saw one of the other Mexican bandits careening from his saddle, his rifle clattering to the ground, his chest spouting red from a mortal wound. Beyond him Josh saw one of his men signal that he had scored the hit, and Josh swiftly waved his thanks. When he turned back, Ortega had disappeared.

Cursing, Josh jerked on the reins once more, guiding his mount to follow the path of the stampede. The roar of gunfire had now died away to an occasional shot. He quickly realized that the fight was all but over, the rustlers routed.

All that was left to do now was gather up the survivors.

But there was only one survivor Josh was interested in at the moment, a black man on a bay gelding who had vanished before the rampaging herd. Riding headlong into the cloud of dust churned by the frantic hooves of one hundred frightened animals, Josh squinted against the grit that stung his eyes. As the thunder from the herd faded, another sound swelled before him, the piercing scream of an injured animal.

The dust swirled around him like a reddish fog, and Josh slowed the Appaloosa, approaching carefully, his pistol aimed and cocked. Slowly, the bay materialized, thrashing and trying desperately to rise on his two ruined forelegs. Without thinking, Josh raised his Colt and put a bullet through the animal's brain, ending its misery. Only then did he recall the animal's rider and the danger he might have put himself in with this simple act of mercy.

But no answering shot rang out. No scramble of movement betrayed the rider's presence, and another, very unsettling thought crossed Josh's mind. In all his years of ranching, he had only once seen a man trampled to death. It was a sight he would never forget. Apprehension lifted the hairs on his neck as he nudged the Appaloosa into motion again and began to scan the area for the dusty red splotch that would mark the end of Candace's son.

His horse whinnied, warning him even before the dust cleared and he saw the body. Miraculously, the man was whole, his lean length sprawled on the dusty ground like a giant rag doll that had been discarded by an even more gargantuan child. But he was still. Too still.

Josh leaped from his saddle and raced to the body, searching for any sign of life. With practiced hand, he raised one dark eyelid and saw not the white of a rolled-back eyeball but the deep brown of a living iris.

Feeling foolish, he also felt relief. For reasons he could not define, he did not want to go back and tell Candace her son was dead, no matter what the man might have done both to him and to her.

Jeremiah groaned, reminding Josh that he might still pose a danger if he were to come around while still armed. Josh pulled the pearl-handled Colts from the hand-tooled leather holsters and then patted him down for other weapons. He retrieved a deringer from a vest pocket and a Bowie knife from a boot. He was stuffing the weapons into his saddlebag when Jeremiah groaned again and opened his eyes.

"Don't move," Josh warned, his own gun trained on his captive. "Your right arm's probably broken and you might have other injuries."

Jeremiah blinked several times, trying to focus on Josh's face, shook his head once, and then tried again. Automatically, he lifted his right arm to wipe the dust from his eyes, but the effort made him moan in agony. "You're right about that arm," he muttered, using his left hand to clear his vision. He glanced down at the injured arm and quickly averted his eyes at the sight of it lying at such a crazy angle.

"I took your guns," Josh said as he watched the dark gaze settle on him at last.

Jeremiah's eyes narrowed as he suddenly realized his predicament. His left hand swooped to his vest pocket.

"I found that one, too," Josh said. "And the knife in your boot."

Josh saw the tension of his captive settle into a cautious wariness. Brown eyes watched as Josh lifted his Stetson and wiped the moisture from his forehead with his sleeve.

"You're Logan, aren't you?" Jeremiah said.

Josh settled the hat back on his head, realizing that his silvered hair must have revealed his identity. "That's right."

"Do you know who I am?"

Josh nodded. "Candace told me. You're her son. That's why you're still alive."

The brown eyes narrowed speculatively. "Is that all she told you?" he asked skeptically.

Josh frowned, wondering what Jeremiah could be up to.

"She told me how you threatened to get back at her through me, if that's what you're wondering. Don't worry, I know enough about you that I'm not going to let you go."

But Jeremiah shook his head slowly. "There's one more thing that you might find interesting," he said, his lips curling back into a feral grin. "You see, she forgot to tell you who my father was." Ever so slowly, he raised his left hand and loosened the chin strap that had held his hat on through the violence of his fall. With equal slowness, he grasped the brim of that hat and lifted it from his head.

Josh gasped at the sight of hair as silver as his own glinting in the sunlight.

"Your mother used to tell me that I favored him," Jeremiah taunted. "She used to tell me lots of things, about how that black bitch stole him from her. About how she'd sneak into his bed at night and-"

"No!" Josh shouted in horror, hardly aware that he had even moved and startled to feel Jeremiah's throat beneath his hand. For one crazed moment he longed to choke the life out of him, to silence the ugly lies forever.

And they were lies. Oh, he had known about his father and Candace, known that he sometimes went to her cabin at night. The boy Josh had hated the thought, but the man Josh understood how something like that could happen. Now everything was confused in his mind. There were so many things he did not understand. Like why his father had allowed Candace to become his wife's maid when Candace had already borne him a child, and why that child had been left behind, and why…

Jeremiah's strangled cries and the pain of the fingernails of Jeremiah's good hand clawing at him brought Josh to his senses. Josh instantly released him, thrusting him away in disgust. "Get up," he said, no longer caring whether the man he now knew was his half-brother had any internal injuries or not. "I'm going to take you into town and lock you up for the circuit judge. I'll let him decide whether you hang or whether you just rot in prison."

"Do you see anything, Candace?" Felicity asked. The black woman stood at the front window, staring out into the darkness.

"No," Candace replied with a weary sigh. "It's foolish to watch for them. They might be gone a week or more. They might not even be able to find Ortega at all." But Felicity noticed that in spite of her words, Candace did not forsake her vigil.

Resisting the almost overwhelming urge to join her at the window, Felicity resolutely resumed her sewing. She would have preferred an activity that occupied her mind, but reading was out of the question. She had already tried it and found she could not concentrate on the words for worrying about Joshua. In desperation, she had picked up her latest sewing project, a violet-sprigged calico dress. Felicity was making it up in the wrapper style known as the "Mother Hubbard." Not only was that type of dress comfortable and practical, but it would easily expand to accommodate a growing pregnancy, as Candace had pointed out to her when making the original suggestion.

Felicity's hands stilled as she glanced down and tried to imagine her stomach rounded with Joshua's child. Joshua's child. Longing stabbed through her, piercing her heart. How very much she wanted his child. She might, in fact, already carry his seed. Instinctively, she laid a hand protectively over her imaginary babe. Whatever would she do if Joshua did not come back? The violet material in her lap blurred before her eyes.

"It's all right, honey," Candace assured her urgently, brushing the fabric onto the floor and taking Felicity into a comforting embrace. "Don't cry. Everything's fine."

Only then did Felicity realize that she was crying, shaking with silent sobs and blinded by a flood of tears. She smothered those sobs against Candace's shoulder, clinging tightly to the solace she offered.

"He'll be fine; you'll see," Candace crooned, rocking her as if she were a small child.

But Felicity heard the uncertainty in her voice and pulled away. "You're scared, too, aren't you?" she accused, terrified anew by the knowledge.

Candace smiled wanly. "Only because both my boys are out there and because they're fighting each other."

Both her boys? What on earth could she mean? Before Felicity could ask, the front door burst open.

"They're coming," a jubilant Cody reported.

"Is Mr. Logan all right?" Felicity demanded as both she and Candace surged to their feet.

"I can't tell for sure, but I counted six horses and six riders, so they must all be fine," Cody said. "They'll be here in another minute." With that he ran back outside. Candace and Felicity swiftly followed.

"Here, put this on," Candace ordered, placing a shawl around Felicity's shoulders. Felicity barely noticed, just as she had barely noticed the evening chill. Her shivering was from anticipation, not the cold.

Cody and Gus had lighted lanterns out in the yard, and Felicity strained to see the riders as they rode into the wavering brightness.

Josh climbed wearily from his saddle. "I'll take care of your horse, Mr. Logan," Cody said, but Josh only half heard him. His attention was focused on the front porch of the house. He could see Felicity silhouetted against the open door. Without conscious awareness, he handed his reins to Cody and headed toward her.

He knew the moment she recognized him. Her joyful cry carried across the ranch yard to him, and then she was running down the stairs in a flurry of skirts. His own pace quickened as he tried to close the enormous space between them. Never had it taken so long to cross the yard. By the time he reached her, he was almost running in his urgency to hold her close.

Felicity threw herself into his arms, clinging with all her strength. Only by physically touching him could she be certain he was truly here, truly all right. Drawing a ragged breath, she inhaled his musky, masculine scent. Convinced at last that he was safe, she lifted her face to ask one of the many questions she wanted answered, but his mouth came down on hers, silencing her quite effectively.

Josh drank in the taste and feel and smell of her, tempering the fierceness of his embrace with difficulty. He had a wild urge to crush her, to pull her into himself so they could never be separated again. Even when he had routed the rustlers and delivered them safely to jail, he could not forget the two who had evaded capture, two men who might yet wreak their vengeance on Felicity. But she was safe now. The relief he felt over that staggered him.

He trailed his lips across her cheek and buried his face in the softness of her hair, content to just absorb the sweetness of her for another moment.

"Mr. Josh?" Candace's voice cut into his happiness, reminding him of other, less pleasant matters. He lifted his gaze to where she stood just behind Felicity. She was cradling her injured hand protectively as if afraid he might somehow injure it again.

"He's alive," Josh said, reluctantly relinquishing his hold on his wife. "We'd better go inside."

Felicity tried to move away, but he did not release her completely. Keeping one arm possessively around her, he led her toward the house. She tried to read his expression in the shadows. "Who's alive? Who are you talking about?" she asked, but neither Josh nor Candace seemed to hear her question. For a minute she thought he might be annoyed with her for rushing out to meet him like that. She recalled that her father had always warned her against public displays of emotion, but then she also remembered that Joshua had been the one to kiss her, not the other way around. And he certainly didn't seem too eager to let her go, not from the tender way his hand was caressing her waist. She slipped her own arm around him and decided to wait until they were in the house to ask any more questions. From the tension vibrating between him and Candace, she might not need to ask any questions at all. Instead she would just listen.

When they were all inside, Josh carefully closed the door behind them.

"Did you talk to him? Did he say anything?" Candace asked, still cradling her bandaged hand.

"Why didn't you tell me who he was?" Josh asked, turning on her, his gray eyes stormy with anger.

"I did!" Candace insisted. "I told you he's my son!"

"Your son!" Felicity said, but they still did not hear her.

"You didn't tell me who his father was," Josh accused, planting his hands on his hips and approaching her menacingly.

"Oh no!" Candace cried, her voice a howl of agony. Felicity watched in horror as Candace's beautiful face crumpled and her magnificent body cringed before his wrath.

"Stop it!" Felicity screamed, throwing herself between the two antagonists. Glaring a warning at her husband, she led Candace's quivering body to the large wingbacked chair and forced her down into it. Only then did she realize that Candace was weeping, silently and shatteringly, the same way Felicity had wept for Joshua only moments before. Just as Candace had comforted her, she now comforted her friend, crooning the meaningless phrases of solace.

Then she turned back to Joshua, who still retained a measure of his fury. "What is this all about?" she demanded.

Her question seemed to wake him from some sort of trance. He stared at her for a second as if he had never seen her before, and then she watched the anger almost visibly drain from him. He sighed wearily, pulled off his battered Stetson, and ran one large hand over his face as if to wipe away the vestiges of some bad dream.

"One of the rustlers is Candace's son," he explained.

Candace made a choking sound at this, and Felicity patted her soothingly. "Her son? How…?"

But Josh anticipated her questions. "He was born before my parents married and brought Candace out here. They wouldn't let her bring him along, so he stayed behind on my grandparents' plantation. When my mother left us and went back to Virginia, she wanted Candace to go along, but she refused. My father gave Candace her freedom so she could stay here and take care of me." Josh recited the story woodenly, but his mind was racing, remembering arguments two decades old. His mother's voice screaming, "You don't care anything about the boy! You just want to take care of his father!" and Candace's heated reply, "And you don't care about either one of them!"

He shook off the memories and continued his story. "From what he said, my mother told him some ugly things about Candace, about how she didn't want him, that she preferred to stay here and raise me. He hates her. He hates both of us."

Felicity listened, comprehending only pieces of the story. "How did he get mixed up with Ortega's gang?"

Josh shrugged. "I guess he found out that Ortega robs me, and wanted to help." But he wasn't looking at Felicity. He was watching Candace. Her tremors had stilled. "Why didn't you tell me who he is?" he asked her again.

Candace slowly raised her head, managing to salvage some semblance of her usual dignity. "I didn't think he would tell you. I thought… maybe… there was a chance that even he didn't know…" That was foolish, of course, she realized. Hadn't he said something about having Logan's blood? "Who would have told him?" she wondered aloud.

Josh made a disgusted noise. "I don't suppose anybody had to tell him. His hair is as white as mine. As white as all the Logan men." Candace flinched and lowered her head again as a new sob shook her. "But as for telling him, I think my mother must have. She probably took great delight in it, too, from what he said."

"Tell him what?" Felicity asked, afraid that she already knew and hoping someone would tell her she had misunderstood.

Josh glanced back at her as if he were surprised to see her still standing there beside Candace. He gave that weary sigh again. "Candace's son is also my half-brother."

Felicity gasped at the pain reflected in his gray eyes. Every instinct cried out that she go to him to help ease the suffering she knew he was experiencing, but Candace needed her, too. Josh's statement set Candace to weeping anew. Felicity thought her heart would break at the sight of the invincible Candace shattered into a thousand pieces.

"But you said he's alive," Felicity remembered in an attempt at reassurance.

"Yes," Josh confirmed, moving purposefully over to the cabinet Felicity knew held his liquor supply. To her surprise, he pulled out two glasses. "We were lucky to spot the rustlers this afternoon. They were changing the brands on some stolen cattle," he explained as he filled the two glasses with whiskey. "We surprised them. Two got away, Ortega and one other. I wounded Ortega, but I don't know how badly. One rustler was killed. Another was wounded and one was captured unharmed. Jeremiah got caught in the stampede. He came out with a broken arm, but he'll live. We took the three of them to jail. The town marshal is holding them for the county sheriff. They'll be tried for rustling."

After taking a long swig from one of the glasses, he took the other over and handed it to Candace. "Here, drink this," he said, his voice gentle, all traces of his former anger gone. Felicity helped Candace's trembling hands carry the glass to her lips.

"We set his arm as best we could," Josh continued in that same gentle voice. Now he was speaking as if he were comforting a child. "It was a bad break and his right arm. I doubt he'll ever use a gun again."

Candace raised her head, her dark eyes intently studying his face. Then, as if she had read some secret message there, she nodded. "Thank God," she whispered.

Felicity had many more questions to ask, but she did not want to burden Candace further. She should wait until she and Joshua were alone. First of all, she must make sure Candace would be all right. When her glass was empty, Felicity took it from her and handed it back to Josh. "I think you'd better go to bed now," she advised the black woman, adopting Josh's gentle tone.

Candace rose willingly from the chair and followed Felicity obediently. "I think you ought to sleep here in the house tonight. Do you want me to stay with you for a while?" she asked, leading Candace into the yellow bedroom.

But Candace balked in the doorway. "No!" she said, straightening abruptly and drawing back. "I won't sleep in there. That's her room."

"Her?" Felicity asked, turning to Josh for explanation.

"My mother slept in there," he replied.

Another mystery. Another question to ask when they were alone. "Well, then…"

"I don't need any help, Miss Felicity. I can manage fine now," Candace said, and when Felicity looked back at her, she saw that it was true. The old Candace was back, her dignity slightly tattered but firmly in place. "I'll sleep in my own bed. You see to your husband." Her dark eyes sought Josh one last time. "I'm sorry," she whispered just before she whirled and left the room.

"Oh, Joshua!" Felicity cried in an agony of indecision. For all her bravado, Candace really did need her, but one look at her husband told her he needed her, too.

"Come here," he commanded hoarsely. He opened his arms and she obeyed, gathering him to her as if she could absorb his anguish.

"There's so much I don't understand," she said against his shirtfront.

"I know," he breathed into the silken cloud of her hair. "I'll explain it all to you… tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" she asked, but his strong arms reached down and lifted her high against his chest.

"Yes, tomorrow," he affirmed, carrying her into their bedroom. "Tonight I want to forget it all."

She tried to protest, but his mouth on hers silenced her for the second time that night. Much later, when they lay in sated exhaustion, she had forgotten all her questions.

True to his word, Josh told her everything the next day, or at least as much as he knew, reciting the story about his mother with the same emotionless detachment he had used the night before. Felicity's heart ached for the boy he had been and for the pain he still endured because of the way his mother had abandoned him. Of course he gave no outward indication that he still felt any pain, but that revealed more to Felicity than outward anger would have. Her love for him grew until she thought she might burst from holding it in. Silently, she vowed to do everything within her power to make the rest of his life happy.

In the morning, Candace appeared and went about her duties as if nothing untoward had occurred. If her eyes were haunted, neither Josh nor Felicity acknowledged the fact, not to her and not even to each other.

The three of them tiptoed around each other all day, and by the next day life had resumed its normal routine. It was Sunday, and Josh and Felicity had just sat down on the front porch swing to enjoy the pleasant spring day when they saw a lone rider approaching. The rider was the town marshal, and he was coming fast.

"Afternoon, Josh," he called, slowing his horse to a lope as he approached the house.

"Afternoon, Henry," Josh replied warily, rising from the swing and moving toward the steps to meet him. "What brings you out this way on a Sunday?"

From the marshal's expression, Felicity knew he was not paying a social call. He nodded to her and wished her good afternoon also. She returned his greeting apprehensively.

"I got some bad news for you folks," he explained unnecessarily. Felicity saw Josh stiffen. "Those rustlers got away late last night."

Josh swore under his breath. "Come on inside. Felicity, get the marshal some coffee. He looks like he could use a cup."

Felicity nodded and hurried off toward the kitchen. When she returned, the two men were seated in the front room and the marshal was speaking.

"… I didn't even know they were gone until this morning. Thank you, Mrs. Logan," he said, accepting the cup she offered and taking a large swallow before continuing. "The two who got away sneaked back and broke them out. They tied up my deputy and locked him in a cell. When Billy from the hotel brought over their breakfast this morning, he found Mike trussed up like a Christmas turkey. I sent word to the sheriff and put a couple men to work tracking them. Then I came on out here. Figured you'd want to go after them yourself."

Josh nodded, and Felicity could see he was already making plans. The thought of him going after the rustlers again, especially now that they had good reason to want revenge, sent the blood rushing from her head. She sank down heavily on the settee next to the marshal.

"I'll get my men together," Josh said. He started to rise, but the marshal stopped him.

"Josh, there's one more thing you should know. The colored man? The one named Jeremiah? Well, he calls himself Jeremiah Logan, and he's wanted. He had some… uh, trouble with a white woman back East," the marshal explained discreetly, giving Josh a significant look.

"Why in the hell didn't you tell me that?" Josh exploded. "I would have left some men in town to guard him."

"I just found the Wanted poster late last night," the marshal said defensively. "I guess I should have put on some extra guards, but I didn't want to tell anybody about it. You know how folks are. I was afraid of a lynching."

Josh lunged to his feet and began to pace the room. "Better a lynching than letting them get away," he pointed out caustically.

Marshal Watkins shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "We'd better get going if you intend to catch them," he said to change the subject.

A very short time later, Josh and the men rode away with the marshal. Felicity stood on the porch watching them and trying not to cry. Joshua had barely had time to give her a quick kiss. Heaven only knew how long he would be gone and what might happen to him while he was away.

"It's all my fault," Candace murmured from behind her.

Felidty turned to find the black woman standing in the doorway, staring bleakly at the departing horsemen. "It's not your fault," Felicity assured her. "You didn't know this would happen." Moving to Candace's side, she laid a comforting hand on the older woman's arm, but Candace did not even seem to feel it. She just continued to stare.

"It is my fault," she repeated. "I made Joshua promise not to kill him. If he was dead, then you'd be safe."

"Me?" Felicity said, a little puzzled. "I'm perfectly safe. It's Joshua and the men who are in danger."

At last Candace's troubled gaze turned to Felicity. "But if they don't catch him this time, he'll come back. Next time, he'll go after you. He told me he would. He said when he'd taken everything Joshua had, he'd come back after his woman."

Felicity shuddered involuntarily as Candace described her worst fear. Now someone really was chasing her, and this time he had a name.

That night she had the nightmare again, the nightmare that had haunted her dreams in the weeks after her father's death. She was running and running, but she couldn't run fast enough. He was right behind her, calling her name. She didn't dare look back for fear he would catch her. But he was getting closer and closer until she could feel his hot breath on the back of her neck. Then he called her name and his huge hands grabbed at her. That was when she would awaken with an anguished cry and find herself safe in a tangle of bedclothes, soaked with a cold sweat and panting in terror.

When she awakened alone in the big bed she usually shared with Joshua, she felt more bereft than she had ever felt when she had been totally alone on the prairie. Hugging his pillow to her for comfort, she prayed for his safety and waited for morning.

One day stretched into another to form the longest week of Felicity's life, and then Josh came home again. Saddle-sore and weary, he reported their failure. Ortega and Jeremiah and the others had escaped back across the border.

Asa Gordon walked slowly down the street toward the small house. He could see a woman hanging clothes in the side yard. The place was neat and tidy and the sheets spanking clean in the bright May sunlight. He paused at the edge of the yard, a respectful distance away. "Excuse me. Are you Mrs. Daniels?" he inquired.

The woman turned, her head cocked warily. After a second, she reached up and removed several clothespins from her mouth and smiled. "Yes, I am," she said, coming closer. "What can I do for you?"

Mrs. Daniels had the cheerful, contented look of a happily married woman. Asa knew from experience that such women did not take kindly to an easy, flirtatious manner, nor would she appreciate a personal remark. If she had been a widow or even if she had the pinched look of a woman starved for attention, he would have turned on the charm. Instead, he removed his hat and maintained his respectful pose. "My name is Asa Gordon, and your neighbor, Mrs. Samuels, said you might be able to help me," he began. Mrs. Samuels, poor woman, fell into the "pinched" category. Some outrageous flattery had garnered him Mrs. Daniels's address. "You see, I'm looking for my…" He let his voice trail off as something on her front porch caught his eye. "Good heavens, is that a geranium in that pot?" he asked in amazement.

Mrs. Daniels let her gaze follow his to her front porch. "Yes, it is. I brought it here all the way from Tennessee. I've been nursing it along for ten years now. It blooms every year," she told him proudly.

"That's quite an accomplishment," he said with a reminiscent smile. "It reminds me of my mother. She used to grow them back in Pennsylvania." That was a lie, of course. The only thing his mother had grown back in Pennsylvania had been him, and she'd done a poor job of it. Between her gin and her "gentleman callers," she had paid scant attention to her son. But Asa took no time to dwell on bitter memories. Instead he embellished the lie. "She had red ones and white ones and sometimes even pink ones." His gaze seemed focused on the distant past, but he was really studying Mrs. Daniels to gauge her reaction. He had won her confidence. A happy housewife might have been put off by a comment on her nonexistent beauty, but she was easily swayed by compliments on her flowers.

"Oh, but you're not here to talk about my flowers," she chided him playfully. "You said you were looking for something."

"Oh yes," he said sadly, as if reluctant to recall his true mission. "Not something, but someone. My brother…half-brother, really. His name is Caleb Storm. I understand he and his daughter were through here several months ago. He's a traveling photographer and-"

"Yes, I remember," Mrs. Daniels said. "We had our picture made, our whole family."

Asa nodded encouragingly. "That's what Mrs. Samuels told me. She said you'd spoken with the girl, my niece, at some length."

"Yes, I did," Mrs. Daniels said, but her helpful smile was fading into suspicion.

Asa gave her his sad grin again. "I know you're wondering why a man has to inquire strangers to find his own brother," he said, voicing the doubts he could easily read on her face. "The unfortunate truth is that my brother and I had a falling out several years ago. It was over a young lady, the young lady whom he eventually married, Felicity's mother," he explained, surprising even himself. Every time he told this story, he invented a new detail. This one was the best yet, giving the tale a poignancy that was bound to touch Mrs. Daniels's heart.

"A few months ago his father, my stepfather, passed away," Asa continued, acknowledging Mrs. Daniels's murmur of sympathy with a distressed glance. "He left my brother a legacy, and I'm anxious to see him claim it. Not for himself, of course, but for the girl. She's all that's left of poor Claire…" He let his voice trail off and reached up to rub his eyes, as if the memory of poor Claire were more than he could bear.

"Of course. I understand completely," Mrs. Daniels hastily assured him.

Asa cleared his throat and made a visible effort to get control of his emotions. "I've heard the girl looks just like her mother, the same blond hair and blue eyes…" he ventured, hoping to verify the description he had of Felicity Storm.

"Oh yes," Mrs. Daniels said enthusiastically. "She's a lovely little thing, or at least she would be if she had some decent clothes. The poor child was dressed in rags, if you'll pardon my saying so," she reported indignantly.

Looking pained, Asa said, "You see why I'm so anxious to find her. Did she say anything that might give me a clue as to where they were heading next?"

Mrs. Daniels thought this over. "I don't think so. In fact, I got the impression they would be staying around here for a while. I was mighty surprised when they just up and left. They shouldn't be too hard to find, though. Nobody would ever forget seeing that wagon."

Asa was hard-pressed not to groan at that ingenuous remark. The fact was that nobody had seen that wagon at all, not for at least five months. Instead he smiled gratefully. "Thank you for your help, Mrs. Daniels. Take good care of that geranium."

"I will. I'm only sorry I couldn't have told you something. Good luck!" she called after him.

Luck, Asa reflected bitterly, would not be nearly enough. If he was ever to find Felicity Storm and her father, he would need a damn miracle.

Chapter Eight

"Joshua, when are you going to start feeding this girl?" Blanche inquired cheerfully as she glided past him into his house. "You've had her here for three months now, and she's still nothing but skin and bones."

Josh frowned, noticing Felicity's drawn face over Blanche's shoulder as the two women embraced in greeting. Blanche was right. Although Felicity had gained a little weight in the months since their marriage, of late she had been alarmingly pale and sickly. "I try, but she doesn't eat much," Josh replied only half-jokingly as he pictured the way Felicity had been picking at her food the past few weeks.

Felicity almost groaned aloud at Joshua's remark. Lately it seemed as if everything she did displeased him-eating, not eating, sleeping, not sleeping. And now he had stirred Blanche's considerable interest in her unusual behavior. The older woman pulled back, carefully examining Felicity's face for signs of undernourishment, and Felicity wanted to groan again. "I've been off my feed a little, that's all," Felicity explained lightly. "Is that a new dress?" she asked to change the subject, stepping back to examine Blanche's outfit. Her guest was wearing a scarlet gown of lightweight lawn in deference to the warmer weather of early summer. Froths of white lace adorned her throat and wrists and trimmed the jaunty bustle of her skirt.

"Yes," Blanche replied, momentarily distracted. "It just arrived from my dressmaker. I'm not too sure about the color, though. Do you think it's bright enough?" she inquired with a twinkle.

"Well, you'll never be lost as long as you're wearing it," Felicity replied with mock innocence, making Blanche laugh uproariously. "Come and sit down. I'll have Candace make some tea."

Over the Sunday afternoon tea, Blanche supplied the Logans with the latest gossip from town and agreed that this had been the warmest spring she could remember and speculated on how hot the summer months would be. Unfortunately, Felicity noticed, no matter what the topic of conversation, Blanche's perceptive green eyes continued to study her suspiciously.

Felicity squirmed under the scrutiny and glanced surreptitiously at the mantel clock. Stifling a yawn, she fought the lassitude that threatened to overwhelm her. It struck at this time every day, and although most times Joshua was gone from the house and did not know that she often had to actually take a nap, she had no hope of fooling him on a Sunday, when he was home all day. If her visitor didn't leave soon, Felicity would fall asleep right in the chair, and wouldn't that give Blanche something to talk about!

"You look tired, honey," Blanche observed. "Aren't you sleeping well?" Blanche had expected a blush and an embarrassed glance from Felicity to her amorous husband, but instead the girl lowered her eyes and twisted her hands self-consciously in her lap.

"I sleep very well, thank you," Felicity replied, wondering how to change the subject without seeming rude Josh was not averse to being rude, however. He sighed disgustedly. "Is that why you're up and down a dozen times a night?" he challenged.

"Not a dozen!" she replied defensively. She closed her eyes in despair when he lunged to his feet and began to pace the room restlessly.

Thrusting his fingers through his hair, Josh glanced once more at Felicity's drawn face. She was already drooping. In a little while she would not be able to hold her eyes open. She might even fail asleep sitting up in the chair as she had done once before. He had pretended not to know about her daily naps because she got so upset whenever he mentioned them. "I'm not sick!" she would insist, but Josh knew better. No one except a very sick person had to take a nap in the middle of the day. And then there was the problem with her eating. Sometimes even the smell of food made her sick.

The worst part was feeling so helpless. He couldn't even get her to talk about it. He'd tried to enlist Candace's aid, but ever since Jeremiah's return, Candace had been alarmingly vague about everything. She had not seemed to notice anything unusual about Felicity's behavior. Maybe he should ask Blanche… No, definitely not, he decided quickly. He would not discuss such a sensitive topic as his wife's health with Blanche Delano. Besides, he realized, watching Blanche watching Felicity, she already seemed aware that there was a problem. With her instincts, she would figure out what was wrong in no time. All he had to do was leave them alone.

"I… Excuse me, ladies. I've got something to do in the barn," he improvised.

He did not look back on his way to the door, so he did not see Felicity's agonized expression. Blanche did, though. "Honey, what did you mean when you said you were off your feed?" Blanche asked when the door had slammed behind Josh.

"What?" Felicity asked, having only half heard the question as she agonized over the fact that Joshua could no longer stand being in the same room with her. His displeasure with her was painfully obvious.

"Your eating…" Blanche began, but stopped when Felicity bristled.

"There's nothing wrong with me," she snapped, then caught herself. After all, Blanche was her friend. Felicity had no reason to take out her frustrations on a guest. "I am not sick," she said more calmly. "I wish people would stop fussing over me."

"Of course," Blanche readily agreed. "There's nothing worse. I remember once…" Blanche launched into a story to which Felicity paid little attention. She was too busy wondering how she was going to convince Joshua and everyone else that she was not sick when all she wanted to do was go into her bedroom, curl up on the big, wide bed, and sleep for the rest of the day.

Well, Blanche thought as she rattled on with her story, if Felicity won't talk, I'll get it out of Candace. But when Candace came in a few minutes later to remove the tea things, Blanche received a rude shock.

"Have you found a man for me yet, Candace?" Blanche asked with a wide smile.

Candace glanced up, a blank expression on her elegant face. "Excuse me, Mrs. Delano," she mumbled absently and went back to her work.

Blanche's eyes widened. What on earth was wrong with Candace? She was acting like she was simpleminded! Blanche glanced toward Felicity to see if the girl had noticed. Felicity was frowning uneasily.

"What's wrong with Candace?" Blanche asked the moment the black woman had gone.

"She… she had a shock," Felicity explained reluctantly, uncertain how much of the story she should reveal to Blanche.

"What kind of a shock?" Blanche insisted, reminding Felicity of Blanche's single-minded determination when she wanted to know something. Trying to keep the story from her would be a waste of energy, energy Felicity sorely lacked at the moment.

"One of those rustlers that Joshua caught was Candace's son," she began, and soon she had told her friend the whole story.

"Good heavens, his brother!" Blanche exclaimed when she had heard everything. "How did Joshua take the news?"

Felicity shook her head in despair. "He never talks about it, but I think it hurt him badly."

Blanche nodded her agreement. "It must have," she murmured as she recalled the bleakness she had noticed about him recently. Now that she thought about it, she also recalled that she had seen very little of Candace on her visits, which explained why she had not noticed the change there.

Candace's withdrawal certainly explained why the black woman had not proposed a theory about Felicity's ill health, a theory that seemed obvious to Blanche. Of course, she still did not know all the facts. "Is it bad dreams that keep you awake at night?" she asked, hoping to trick Felicity into revealing something.

She failed.

"I don't have any trouble sleeping," Felicity lied indignantly. "And I eat just as much as anyone else around here and-"

"And you aren't about to drop right off to sleep right now, either," Blanche finished in a placating tone. "Not feeling well is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, I think I know what's causing it…"

"Nothing's causing it!" Felicity cried, jumping to her feet. "I'm not sick!" To her horror, tears sprang to her eyes. She dashed them away with hands that trembled, belying her words even more. Blanche might think that illness was nothing to be ashamed of, but Felicity knew differently. She had seen Joshua's frowning disapproval. He did not want a wife who would be a burden to him, who would take to her bed every afternoon with a case of the vapors. She couldn't be sick. She simply couldn't.

"No, of course you aren't sick," Blanche agreed, rising also and placing a comforting arm around Felicity's shoulders. "And now I've upset you. If I'm not more careful, I'll wear out my welcome here. Next time I come calling, you'll run me off with a shotgun."

Felicity managed a watery smile at the picture Blanche drew, but she still did not trust her voice to reply.

"I'm going to run along now so you can have some peace and quiet, but will you do me one favor?" Felicity nodded. "Please go to your room and lie down with a cold rag over your eyes. If Joshua sees that I've made you cry, he'll come after me with that shotgun!"

"I will," Felicity promised, giving Blanche another hug. Little did Blanche know that lying down was just about the only thing Felicity would be able to manage. Simply standing upright was making her lightheaded.

Once outside, Blanche scanned the ranch yard for Joshua's familiar figure. If she could not get anywhere with Felicity, she would go to the second best source of information. Blanche found him over by the corrals, smoking a cigarette. He didn't seem to be doing anything important, and she wondered briefly if he had purposely left her alone with Felicity.

As she strode over to him, she studied what she had characterized as his "bleak expression." Suddenly she realized that Jeremiah Logan might not be the only reason for his cheerless demeanor. Josh was, after all, the one who had hinted to her about Felicity's suspicious symptoms in the first place. Was he worried about the girl? And why shouldn't he be, she decided as a small smile curved her lips. He'd had more than enough time to fall in love with her.

"Joshua, I want to talk to you a minute," she announced, watching his expression carefully as he turned to face her.

His silver eyes were wary. "About what?" he said, politely tossing down his cigarette and grinding it out with his heel.

"About Felicity," she said when she was close enough to say it softly so no one would overhear. She watched his eyes kindle briefly with an emotion that could only be called fear. Yes, she determined, he was worried about his wife.

"What about her?" he asked, unable to keep the concern from his voice.

"She doesn't look very well, but I can't get a thing out of her about how she feels. She just keeps insisting she's fine. Is that true?"

Josh shook his head. "She's tired all the time. She even sleeps during the day. Maybe that's because she hardly eats, though, or else the way she's up and down all night."

"Does she ever throw up?" Blanche asked.

"No… no, I don't think so," Josh replied, a little taken aback by such a forthright question. Unfortunately, it was only the first in a long line of equally forthright and downright embarrassing inquiries as Blanche questioned him about Felicity's private bodily functions.

By the time she had finally elicited the information that Felicity had not menstruated since their marriage, Josh knew his face was brick-red. But his discomfort quickly changed to alarm when he saw the way Blanche covered her eyes and turned her face away.

Blanche was trying very hard not to laugh. How could a grown man, a man who had lived all his life with cows and horses, not have figured out what was wrong with his own wife? Of course, cows didn't get morning sickness or get sleepy during the day or…

"Is she going to die?" he asked in an oddly flat voice.

"Die!" Blanche echoed in amazement, instantly forgetting her urge to laugh. Then she looked at him, really looked at him. His face was carefully expressionless, but his eyes were clouded with pain. "You really love her, don't you?" she asked softly, glad that her instincts had proven correct.

Josh flinched as if she had slapped him. Love? What did love have to do with anything? "She's my wife," he said dismissively, unwilling to examine his feelings any more closely than that.

Blanche nodded sagely. "Well, I don't think she's going to die. What I do think is that she's going to have a baby."

"A baby?" he said as if he had never heard the word before.

"Yes," Blanche affirmed cheerfully. "That's what happens when two people carry on the way I expect you and Felicity have been carrying on."

But Josh barely heard her barb. "Are you sure?" he demanded.

"Yes, I'm sure," she mocked cheerfully. "She hasn't had her monthly. That's the first sign. When a woman is breeding, she gets awfully tired and needs extra rest. At night, she has to get up to relieve herself a lot. As far as the eating goes, there's even a name for it: morning sickness. Sometimes she might even throw up." Blanche had thrown up quite often, she recalled bleakly. Both times. Josh's voice rescued her from her unpleasant memories.

"A baby. I'll be damned," he muttered.

"Congratulations, Joshua," Blanche said with a grin, extending her hand.

Josh shook it. "Thanks," he responded automatically, but then he thought it over. He owed Blanche more than that. "Thank you, Blanche," he said, smiling back at her.

"My pleasure. I like delivering good news," she replied. Then she noticed his glance straying longingly in the direction of the house. "You leave her alone for a while now," she warned. "I sent her to bed. Let her rest, and when she wakes up, you can tell her. That'll be soon enough. Meantime, you can fetch my buggy for me."

He was a big man. Felicity couldn't see his face, but his clothes were all black. He called her name, "Felicity!" and she ran from him. She ran and ran until she couldn't run anymore. Her legs felt like lead weights, dragging her down and down while he came closer and closer.

"Lissy!" he cried as he reached for her.

"No!" she cried, but she could not escape. His hands clutched at her, grabbing and clinging even though she struggled.

"Ussy! Wake up! It's just a dream!"

Her eyes snapped open. For a moment the face before her looked strange and unfamiliar, but then she recognized him. "Joshua," she breathed, sinking gratefully into the protection of his arms.

Josh held her, rocking her slightly for comfort. How many times had he done this in the long weeks since Jeremiah Logan had escaped? he wondered. He didn't even need to ask what the dream had been about. It was always the same. But he couldn't let her see how concerned he was himself. He would only scare her more. "Serves you right for sleeping in the daytime," he teased in an effort to break the evil spell of the dream.

Felicity blinked, lifting her head from his chest to look around. Sure enough, it was broad daylight. He had caught her sleeping in the daytime again. Too ashamed to meet his gaze, she tried to pull away from him. "I'm sorry. I'll get up right away."

"Hey, what's the matter?" he asked, alerted by the stiffness in her tone and in her body. Holding her fast with one hand, he used the other to force her chin up. Had the dream disturbed her more than usual? He searched the clear blue depths of her eyes, but found no fear there, only a strange sadness.

"I'll fix you something to eat," she offered, eager to make up for her lapse. "Is it late? You must be hungry," she added, wondering how she could have slept the afternoon away.

And then he understood that she was embarrassed. He smiled down at her. "No, it's not late and I'm not hungry," he assured her. No wonder she looked so odd. He had made such a fuss about her sleeping during the day, she probably thought he was mad about it. "In fact, I was going to let you sleep longer, but then I heard you…" His voice trailed off as he realized he was reminding her of the nightmare again. He changed the subject to a much more pleasant one. "But now that you're awake, I've got something to tell you."

Felicity watched his smile warily for a moment until her sleep-fogged brain finally accepted the fact that he was not angry. Ever so gently, he pressed her back against the pillows and then leaned over her, bracing his arms on either side of her shoulders.

"There's a very good reason why you've been so sleepy," he said, reaching up to brush a lock of golden hair away from her cheek. She had removed her dress and petticoats for her nap. Clad only in her chemise with her hair coming loose and sleep creases on her cheek, she looked like a little girl. Except for the swell of her breasts.

"There is?" she asked, puzzled by his smug expression.

"Yes, there is," he repeated, using one long finger to trace the rounded neckline of her chemise. When he came to the valley between her small breasts, he paused to stroke it.

"And what is that reason?" she asked, dimpling because she thought she understood that he was going to say something slightly suggestive or even totally shocking.

"Because you're going to have a baby."

At first Felicity thought she must have heard him wrong. "A baby?" she repeated incredulously.

Josh grinned expansively. Her reaction was the same as his had been. "That's right."

A baby! Felicity's mind reeled at the thought. "Are you sure? How do you know? How can you tell?" she babbled, scrambling to a sitting position so she could better examine the size of her stomach. Even when she pulled her chemise taut with both hands, she could see no visible sign that what he claimed was true.

Josh considered her stomach with mock gravity. "No, it doesn't show yet," he decided, struggling not to laugh out loud at her excitement.

"Then how do you know?" she demanded.

"Blanche told me…" he began.

"Blanche!"

"Hush," he chastened her. "I'm trying to explain. You see, she was worried about you, and so was I…"

"Worried!" she repeated in amazement. He hadn't been angry at all! She started to say that, but he glowered at her sternly, and she bit back the remark.

"As I was saying," he began again with long-suffering, "we were worried about you, and Blanche started asking me questions. She added up all your symptoms and came up with a baby."

"What symptoms do I have?" Felicity asked in alarm.

"Let's see now," he said, pretending to consider. "Sleeping in the daytime, not sleeping at night because you have to… ah… you know," he began, ticking the reasons off on his fingers. "Not being able to eat, not having your… ah… monthly…"

"You told her that!" Felicity shrieked in mortification.

"She asked me right out," Josh replied defensively. "She wanted to know how long it had been since you bled, and I told her not since we got married." Then he remembered they had not been together every single day since their wedding. "Is that right?" he asked with a frown.

Felicity nodded, flushing slightly. She had not thought anything about it, though. Sometimes she did not menstruate for months at a time, so it was nothing unusual. "And all that means I'm going to have a baby?" she asked, still not quite able to believe such a marvelous thing.

He grinned with satisfaction. "Only if you've made love with a man."

"Well, I've certainly done that," she replied without thinking, and blushed when he laughed uproariously. She watched his handsome face, marveling at the way his gray eyes danced. He was quite obviously thrilled about the baby, as thrilled as she would be as soon as the initial shock wore off.

Josh forced himself to sober when he saw how he had embarrassed her. He succeeded fairly well in silencing his laughter, but he could not quite keep his mouth from smiling. Looking down at her, noticing for the thousandth time how utterly lovely she was, he realized how very lucky he was to have found her. In three short months she had given his life a fullness, a richness that he had not even known was missing. Now she had fulfilled his dream of a child, too. "You've given me everything I ever wanted," he said, gently stroking the burnished gold of her hair.

Felicity's eyes widened at his words. This was the closest he had ever come to acknowledging any deeper feelings for her. Frantically, she tried to analyze his statement, to examine it for hidden meanings. What could Joshua Logan have wanted that she had been able to give him? Unable to imagine having made any other contribution to his life, she was left with only one possibility. She clearly recalled the conversation they had had months ago during their "honeymoon," when he had spoken of his love for his ranch and how years from now Logans would still live here. "You're really happy about the baby, aren't you?" she asked, almost wishing that he would deny it, hoping he would insist she was all he cared about, but knowing how foolish such a wish was.

"Of course I'm happy about the baby," he hastened to reassure her, puzzled over the worried frown that marred her perfect face. Women certainly got peculiar notions. He smiled tenderly, wanting to put her mind at ease on the subject once and for all. "The reason I wanted to get married in the first place was because I wanted children." How long ago that seemed now, he thought, a time and place when he'd believed any woman would do, so long as she could provide him an heir.

His words stung her, and she winced inwardly with the pain of betrayal. How easily he made a mockery of her love, of all the tender feelings he had inspired in her. He had only wanted to get married so he could have a child! Of course, that explained everything, why he had proposed to her in the first place and even why he had seduced her before their wedding. He had wanted to be certain she would be satisfactory. It also explained why he had been such an eager lover since their marriage. He wanted to get her with child, and now he had succeeded. The burgeoning joy she felt over her pregnancy smothered under the realization that he had never cared for her at all.

Josh frowned, easily reading the sadness in her large, expressive eyes but unable to understand the reason for it. Only a moment ago she had been as pleased about the baby as he, but now… The cold fingers of apprehension stroked along his spine as he considered the possible causes. Had she begun to think about the dangers of pregnancy and childbirth? How clearly he remembered his mother refusing his father because she did not want any more children. Her protest, "I almost died the last time!" echoed in his brain.

But Felicity wouldn't die. He wouldn't let her. He would take care of her and protect her. She would get the best care any pregnant woman had ever received. Tempering his urge to crush her to him, he slipped his arms around her gently and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead, contenting himself with this brief taste even though his body burned for her. "I wouldn't mind making love to you right now," he murmured in a masterpiece of understatement, knowing that he would now have to moderate his desires because of her delicate condition.

Felicity closed her eyes against the pain his words caused. He wouldn't mind making love to her, but he wasn't going to. She could tell from the way he was holding her. But she could not let him know how devastated she was to learn his passion had not been for her at all, but for the child she would produce. She knew she had not yet earned his love, but at least she had thought he wanted her. Now even that was gone. "You don't have to now," she said, forcing a lightness to her tone. "I'm already… pregnant," she added, trying out the word she had never dared to speak aloud before.

Josh frowned. Was she telling him she no longer wanted to make love with him? In all the months of their marriage, she had never refused him, and he had assumed she enjoyed it as much as he. She'd certainly seemed to. But perhaps now she was concerned over her pregnancy, too. As difficult as it would be, he would honor her wishes. Reluctantly, he released her from his embrace. "You're right, I don't have to make love to you now," he said with an understanding smile, wondering how long he should wait and hoping the waiting would not drive him insane.

Felicity watched him rise from the bed, unable to wrench her gaze from the sight of his smile. How pleasant he was being about the whole thing, but then, he wouldn't want to upset her. That would be bad for the baby.

"I'm going to take good care of you, Lissy," he promised, confirming her suspicions. "You just go back to sleep now, and this time try to dream happy dreams," he added, tapping her nose playfully.

She managed to hold her tears until the door closed softly behind him. So intense was her agony, she drew her knees to her chest and clutched them tightly, muffling her sobs in the bedclothes. What had she ever done to deserve this? she wondered bitterly. What should have been the happiest news of her life had been ruined. A baby, Joshua's baby, grew inside of her, a tiny spark of life that was the fruit of the love she bore her husband, a tiny person whom she already loved fiercely. How unfair that her husband loved only the child.

"Miss Felicity? Are you ever gonna wake up? It's almost suppertime."

Candace's voice cut through the fog of sleep, and slowly Felicity returned to consciousness. Disoriented, she could not at first recall why she happened to be sleeping at suppertime or why her eyes were so puffy and swollen. Then it all came back to her in a rush. The baby. And Joshua. She groaned.

"Are you all right?" Candace asked in concern. "Mr. Josh said to let you sleep as long as you want, but I didn't reckon you'd want to miss a meal."

"I'm fine," Felicity assured her, struggling to break free of the lethargy that bound her. So many conflicting thoughts fought for dominance in her brain that for a moment she did not even think to wonder whether Candace knew the news. When she did, she realized that was impossible. If Candace had known, she would have told Felicity herself, and Joshua would not have had to go to Blanche. With new bitterness, she experienced the humiliation of having needed her own husband to tell her she was pregnant.

"Did Joshua tell you that I'm going to have a baby?" Felicity asked, watching Candace's expression carefully.

The black woman's eyes grew large, and for the first time in months she turned her full attention to what Felicity was saying. "A baby?" she repeated. Her eyes seemed to kindle to life. "When? How far along are you?" She moved quickly over to the bed and sat down beside Felicity.

"I… I don't know," Felicity admitted, acknowledging another humiliation. "How can you tell?"

In an instant, Candace became her old self, competent and capable. She asked the necessary questions and determined the answer. "I'd guess it must've happened right away, as soon as you two got married. I expect the baby will be along round about early December. Just in time for Christmas. There's so much to do," she said almost to herself. "Mr. Josh's old cradle will have to be painted, and we can start right away on making some baby clothes. A winter baby will need a fur bunting, too, and a quilt and…"

Felicity listened in amazement as Candace rattled on with her plans. It had been so long since Candace had shown enthusiasm for anything that Felicity was slightly overwhelmed. But Candace's excitement was contagious, and soon Felicity caught it.

This was, after all, her baby, too, her very own child. Fora moment she tried to imagine holding it in her arms, touching it, kissing it, suckling it at her breast. She already loved this nameless, faceless being, and he-or she-would love her in return, with complete devotion, whether or not his father did. Why should she torture herself wishing for something she did not have when she did have something so wonderful? The joy she had felt initially came flooding back as she and Candace made their plans.

If Joshua did not love her, she would always have his child. They would both love the baby, and Joshua was bound to be pleased with her when he saw how she cared for his son. Who knew, he might even come to love her after all.

"Sounds like we have company," Josh remarked, rising from his wingbacked chair to see who had come to visit them.

Felicity glanced up from her sewing and listened intently. After a moment she, too, heard the sound of a wagon in the yard. With a weary sigh, she laid aside her work and began the laborious process of hauling her heavy body out of the elaborately carved rocking chair that Joshua had ordered specially for her. The baby protested the movement with a violent kick to her ribs that left her breathless. Gingerly rubbing her side, Felicity could not help but smile. Little Joshua, as she liked to think of him, was particularly restless today. Perhaps he would soon be making his appearance. The thought both elated and terrified her.

As much as she longed to hold her baby in her arms-and have the ordeal of pregnancy be over-she could hardly stand the thought of childbirth with its unknown terrors. Odd how the endless scorching summer months now seemed to have flown by, bringing all too quickly the day when her child would be born. Felicity shivered, but not from the cold. Even though November would soon be over, the weather was still holding, so they had not yet even needed a fire in the evening.

"It's Blanche," Josh reported from his position by the front window.

"Of course," Felicity replied with amusement. Who else would it be? Blanche had visited her every Sunday afternoon since learning of her pregnancy. Lately, she had begun visiting at least once and sometimes twice during the week, too. Felicity had been grateful for those visits. Blanche's never-failing good cheer had helped her over more than one rough spot. She could never feel sorry for herself very long with Blanche around.

Unfortunately, Felicity had an alarming tendency to feel very sorry for herself, a tendency that came more frequently as her body grew larger. The bulkier she got, the less Joshua smiled at her. Not that he mistreated her or anything. He was still as attentive and thoughtful as ever. More so, if the truth were told.

But he simply did not want her anymore. She knew because they hadn't made love in months.

Now, of course, making love was out of the question. She was too far along. But even back when they had been able to, he had hardly ever touched her. Just as she had suspected, his consuming passion for her died the moment he learned she had conceived.

"Anybody home?" Blanche called from outside.

Josh opened the front door and stood back to allow Felicity to pass before him. "You'd better put your shawl on. It's cool out there," he advised, reaching for it.

Felicity swallowed the bitterness that rose like bile in her throat and turned so he could place the wrap around her shoulders. He was being considerate, she told herself. Yes, he couldn't let anything happen to his child, another voice replied mockingly. Shaking off her tormenting thoughts, Felicity pinned a little smile to her lips and walked slowly out onto the porch to greet her guest.

As usual, Blanche was dressed outrageously. Today she wore emerald-green watered silk. Felicity knew a moment's envy as she noted Blanche's wasp waist above the enormous bustle. Soon, she reminded herself. Very soon.

"What's the matter with you, Joshua?" Blanche demanded as she traipsed regally up the stairs. "Don't you ever feed this girl? Look at her! She looks like a string with a knot tied in it."

"A very large knot," Felicity said, placing both hands on her protruding stomach and forcing a smile.

"Oh, she eats, all right," Josh replied. "Candace says she eats so much it makes her poorly to carry it around."

Felicity glanced up in surprise at the odd tone of his voice. He was smiling, but the smile was as strained as hers. Then she saw Blanche reach out and pat his arm in a comforting gesture. "It won't be much longer now," Blanche said, but she said it to Josh, her voice soft and soothing.

The tears that were always too ready to fall nowadays sprang to her eyes. Her husband hated the way she looked, and her friend sympathized with him. Turning quickly so they would not see her crying, Felicity endeavored to make her voice sound as cheerful as possible. "Let's go inside. It's getting cold out here." She made a little business about blowing her nose once she got in the house.

"You aren't coming down with something, are you?" Blanche asked with concern.

"No, no. It's just the weather. I guess we'll need a fire tonight. Come and sit down. How have you been?" Felicity babbled, leading the way to where the chairs were grouped before the hearth.

"I'm fine, as usual," Blanche replied thoughtfully, studying Felicity intently. "The important question is, how are you?"

"Oh, fine as usual," Felicity mimicked, easing herself down into the rocking chair.

Blanche watched her before taking her own seat on the settee. Joshua, she noticed, stood hovering over Felicity until the girl was comfortably settled. Poor Joshua. If his hair hadn't already been white, this pregnancy would have turned it. He was scared to death, although Blanche doubted he would ever admit such a thing, even to himself. He probably hadn't even admitted how much he loved his wife. Blanche could tell, though. The way his eyes anxiously followed the girl's every move, the way he listened to her speak, even the way he hardly ever smiled anymore, all that and more told Blanche everything she needed to know.

Unfortunately, Felicity did not know, and she did not seem inclined to believe Blanche on the subject even though Blanche had often tried to convince her. Sometimes, like right now, Blanche had the urge to knock their heads together just to see if she could pound some sense into them. She sighed. Maybe after the baby came… "Have you settled on the names yet? You don't have too much more time left," Blanche said, falling easily into her role of entertaining visitor. Head pounding would have to wait.

As the afternoon waned, Felicity felt her mood lighten. Blanche's presence always seemed to have that effect on her. Although she did not like to admit it, she hated being alone with Joshua. His solicitude drove her to distraction, making her feel more like a prized brood mare than a wife.

And sometimes the baby made her feel like a brood mare, too, she admitted with a small smile, shifting to find a more comfortable position in the rocking chair her husband had insisted that she needed. But nothing seemed to appease little Joshua. He squirmed with renewed vigor. Feeling every bit like a turtle on its back, Felicity began the struggle of rising from her chair in hopes of easing her child's cramped position.

Blanche noticed her difficulties but had the grace not to comment on them. Felicity did not even look at Joshua for fear of seeing disgust on his face at her graceless movements. Once on her feet, she placed her hands on the small of her back and stretched to ease the aches that plagued her. The baby went still for a moment, as if grateful for the release her new posture gave him. And then he lurched.

Felicity cried out as she fell to her knees.

"Felicity!"

"Lissy!"

The voices called to her in unison, but she barely heard them.

"Are you all right?"

"What happened?"

Gentle hands grasped her, lifted her, and she was sitting in her rocking chair again. "I fell," she murmured in wonder, examining her reddened palms and noticing the way her knees throbbed from the impact.

"What happened, honey?" Blanche's voice cut into her wonderment. "You were just standing there and…"

"The baby turned over," Felicity reported, checking first Blanche's and then Joshua's expressions to see if they believed her. They did not seem to. "At least, that's what it felt like," she amended, not willing to trust her own judgment just yet. "He was wiggling around, and when I stood up, he just flipped."

"Do you hurt anywhere?" Josh asked. He looked down at her frail figure so overburdened by his child and experienced an overwhelming sense of helplessness. How foolish he had been to think he could protect her. The dangers she faced came from things he had no hope of controlling.

"My knees; I think I skinned them," she admitted reluctantly. She hated drawing further attention to her clumsiness, but her knees really did hurt.

"Well, that's not too bad," Josh said with false heartiness, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. The thought that she might really have injured herself was making him sick to his stomach. "I'll get Candace. She'll know what to do." Eager for some privacy in which to regain control of his emotions, he hurried from the room.

"No, that's not too bad," Felicity echoed bitterly, wondering how he might have reacted if her fall had harmed the child in. some way.

"Felicity," Blanche said, drawing her attention. "Remember that I promised I'd stay with you when the baby came, to help Candace?"

Felicity nodded. There was no doctor, and Candace was the closest thing to a midwife in the area. Blanche would assist her when the time came.

"Well, I was just thinking. Maybe I'd better go ahead and pack up a few things and come over here to stay. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if that baby dropped out just any time now." Blanche smiled at her crude jest, but Felicity could see she was only trying to cover a genuine concern.

"Of course," Felicity readily agreed. "I'll tell Candace to fix up the guest room for you." Although what Joshua might think of the arrangements was something else again, Felicity thought. He seemed to appreciate Blanche's visits, even though he had made it clear he disapproved of her in many ways, but having her under the same roof twenty-four hours a day might be more than he could take.

"What's this I hear about you not being able to stand up straight anymore?" Candace demanded cheerfully when she bustled into the room a few moments later.

"The baby knocked her clean over," Blanche reported, stepping back to allow Candace room to work. She was carrying a small basin and a jar of salve. "I never saw anything like it."

"From the looks of her, I wouldn't be surprised if that baby comes out half-grown," Candace said, kneeling in front of Felicity.

Felicity watched them, listening to their banter with suspicion. Their mouths were smiling, but their eyes were clouded with worry. Was something wrong? She really did not want to know. She closed her own eyes so she would not have to see them exchanging meaningful glances.

Candace lifted Felicity's skirt to examine her knees, and then gently bathed the scrapes with a soft cloth. "Did you feel anything pull or tear when you fell?" she asked with creditable nonchalance.

Felicity squinched her eyes more tightly shut. "No," she said, trying not to listen to the voice inside her head that was reminding her how they only cared about the baby.

"Thank God," she heard Blanche whisper.

"Is she all right?" Felicity heard Joshua's voice ask, but she still did not open her eyes. She could not bear to see his frowning disapproval.

Candace lowered Felicity's skirt over her treated knees. "She might have a few bruises, but nothing serious. You'll be fine," she added, patting Felicity's hand reassuringly.

"Joshua, I was thinking I'd bring my stuff on over, so I'll be here when…" Blanche let her voice trail off, making Felicity wince again. Why didn't she say it outright?

"That's fine," Josh said so fervently that Felicity's eyes popped open at last. "If you leave now, you can be back before dark."

Felicity watched in growing horror as Joshua escorted Blanche out onto the porch. He shut the door behind them and called to someone to get Mrs. Delano's buggy ready. Then they stood on the porch for a long time, whispering to each other. Felicity could see them through the window, could see Blanche touching Joshua's arm with a tenderness that sent pain stabbing through her heart. Was that what the veiled looks were about? Was that why Joshua had not made love to her in months? Was that why he was so glad Blanche was coming to stay in their very house?

"Honey, why are you crying?" Candace asked solicitously. "Were you lying? Did you really hurt yourself in that fall?"

Felicity shook her head, hating the tears over which she no longer seemed to have any control. "I… I'm just tired. I think I'll lie down for a while."

Out on the porch, Blanche patted Josh's arm comfortingly. "She's not hurt. You have to be thankful for that."

Josh sighed wearily. "Yeah, I'm thankful this time," he said bitterly. "But what about next time? You said yourself the baby might not come for another two or three weeks. She's so tiny…" He let his voice trail off, unable to allow himself to complete the thought. How would he bear it if something happened to her?

"We'll take good care of her, Joshua. I promise you that," Blanche said, giving his arm a squeeze. "And I don't think it's going to be another two or three weeks anymore. Why do you think I'm moving over here tonight?"

Later, alone in her darkened room, Felicity heard Blanche returning. Although they were quite obviously taking great pains not to disturb her, she heard every move they made as Joshua carried in her luggage. Felicity even heard Blanche tell him, "Don't worry. This baby will be here before you know it, and then everything will be fine."

Fine for whom, Felicity wondered as the jealousy festered in her heart.

Josh opened the bedroom door carefully and listened a moment to the quiet regularity of her breathing. She was asleep. Letting out the breath he had been holding, he slipped silently into the room and began to undress in the dark. As his eyes became accustomed to the dimness, he could make out the small mound of her body beneath the covers. He shuddered slightly as he recalled the sight of that body hurtling to the floor. He had been more frightened in that moment than he had ever been in his life. Thank God she had not been hurt.

Naked, he slid into th &bed beside her, trying not to disturb her rest. She stirred and murmured something indistinguishable in her sleep, but she did not waken. Josh lay rigid, willing his body to relax while he tried vainly to ignore the sweet woman-scent of her body so close to his.

How long had it been since he had made love to her? So painful was the thought that his mind rebelled at even making the calculation. The only time he dared to embrace her anymore was when she awoke terrified from one of her nightmares. Guiltily, he found himself wishing she would have one now. His arms ached to hold her so he could reassure himself that she was really all right.

After a long session of internal debate, Josh swore softly and reached for her. What would it hurt if he held her? She would not even know. As if to belie that theory, she made a soft purring noise as she snuggled against his warmth. Josh turned on his side so the huge swell of her stomach was pressed against his belly. He felt a small ripple of movement as his child shifted inside her body and then went still again.

Josh closed his eyes, trying to block out Blanche's warnings. She was worried, and so was Candace. The baby was big, perhaps too big, and Felicity was so small. She would have a difficult time.

What had he done to her?

A man never considered the consequences when he took his pleasure, never considered what perils his seed might cause the woman he loved. And Josh did love her, more than he loved the land, more than he loved his child, even more than he loved his own life. The realization should have surprised him, but it did not. Perhaps he had known it all along, from the very beginning. At the time he had justified his feelings by calling them desire. He did desire her, more than he could ever explain or understand, but there was much more to it than that.

He smiled in the darkness, remembering his vow never to fall in love with her, as if he could have avoided such a thing by mere strength of will. And how much easier this would be if he had been able to. He shuddered again, drawing her closer and burying his face in the silken cloud of her hair. "Please, God…" he whispered into the night.

Felicity awoke suddenly, blinking in the darkness, trying to determine what had awakened her. Usually, it was her bladder demanding to be emptied, but tonight, she realized with growing humiliation, she had not been quick enough. Her nightdress clung wetly to her legs, and the bedclothes were soaked.

She lay there long moments wondering how she could hide such an embarrassing situation from her husband, who was still sleeping soundly beside her. No plan came readily to mind, since sooner or later he would awaken and discover the wet bedding. Reluctantly, she reached over and shook him gently.

"Mr. Logan," she said, resolutely refusing to call him by his given name. She had not done so since the last time he had made love to her, and she certainly was not going to start now, under the present conditions. "Mr. Logan, wake up."

"Wha… What is it?" he asked, rearing up in alarm.

Glad for the darkness that hid her mortification, Felicity tried to explain. "The bed is all wet, and you have to get up so I can change it… Ohhhh!" The pain struck with the force of a sledgehammer, curling her into a tight ball of agony.

"Lissy, what is it? What's wrong?" His voice sounded panicked, but she was only vaguely aware of his distress.

"I… I don't know…" she panted as the pain eased, ebbing as if it had never been. "I got this pain…"

Frantically, Josh tried to remember what she had been saying the moment before the pain had come. The bed was wet. Yes, that was it. Swiftly, he ran his hand beneath the covers, finding the dampness under her body. It was the baby. The baby was coming.

"Blanche!" he called, knowing she was the closest. "Blanche, come quick!"

Blanche was the last person Felicity wanted to have informed of her incontinence, but before she could protest, another pain stabbed through her, leaving her speechless.

Josh threw off the covers and jumped out of bed to search the bedside table for a match with which to light the lamp. He could hear noises from across the house, so he knew Blanche was on her way. He found the matches just as the bedroom door burst open.

"What's wrong?" Blanche's voice asked into the darkness.

"The baby's coming," Josh reported, striking a match and fumbling for the lamp.

Felicity caught a glimpse of Blanche hurriedly tying the sash of a red silk robe before she closed her eyes against the glare of the lamp and the ferocity of the pain.

"The bed is wet and she's having pains," Joshua's voice said.

"Is it bad, honey?" Blanche inquired next to her ear.

Felicity could only nod. Then, mercifully, the pain subsided once again, leaving her limp and exhausted. She turned frightened eyes to Blanche and was relieved to find her smiling.

"Now, what a lucky thing I decided to come today. See, I told you the baby would be coming soon, but this is even sooner than I expected," she reported cheerfully.

"The… the baby?" Felicity asked, not daring to believe the time had arrived. "But it's too early…"

"Babies know the right time to be born," Blanche said authoritatively. "Your water's already broken, and you're in labor. It's too late to worry about the timing anyway."

Felicity considered her statement, putting all the clues together. How stupid she had been not to guess immediately. Now they would add that to her list of shortcomings, right underneath clumsiness. She wanted to weep.

"Joshua, you'd better go get Candace," Blanche suggested, turning toward him and getting a good look at him for the first time since he had lighted the lamp. "But first you'd better put on your pants," she added with a comic leer at his still-naked body.

Josh swore, quickly turning his back and snatching up the jeans he had discarded earlier.

Aghast, Felicity watched him pulling on the jeans and then lifted her gaze to Blanche once again. The older woman winked and grinned. "New fathers sometimes go a little crazy," she explained wickedly. Before Felicity could respond to such an outrageous remark, the pain came again, claiming all her strength and all her attention.

Time passed. She knew because she could measure its passing by how many times her body convulsed with agony. Then, just when she thought she could bear it no longer, the pains ceased as abruptly as they had begun.

Sometime during her ordeal, Candace had come in and banished Joshua to the parlor. Then Candace and Blanche had changed Felicity's nightdress and stripped the bed and made all the necessary preparations for the birthing. Now they all waited. Minutes ticked by, but Felicity's body remained still.

"It stopped," Felicity said in wonder, not certain if she should be alarmed or relieved.

Candace ran a practiced hand over Felicity's distended belly. "It'll start again real soon. Better get some rest while you can," she advised, pulling a blanket over her.

Unable to refuse, Felicity fell into an exhausted slumber. There she met the man in black, who began to chase her and call her name. This time he had a knife, an enormous knife, and she couldn't run because the baby was too heavy. She fell, and when she looked up, he was looming over her, holding the blade over his head with both hands. She tried to scream but he plunged it into her, ripping her body apart. Her scream of terror woke her to new agonies. The knife had only been a dream, but the pain was all too real, tearing at her body until she thought she might really split in two. Blanche and Candace held her while she writhed, and although she begged them to help her, they only stood and stared, their faces grim.

Out in the parlor, Josh awoke with a start. He was cold and stiff and his neck ached from the awkward way he was resting his head against the side of the wingbacked chair. For a moment he could not recall why he was sleeping in the chair, and then he heard it, that horrible, blood-chilling cry of anguish. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled and every muscle tensed in response. He wanted to do something, to fight something, to somehow save her from this awful torment. His hands closed into fists as frustration overwhelmed him. The cry came again, slicing into his soul until he could have cried out himself.

Candace had told him to leave, to go off someplace where he couldn't hear what was happening. Every instinct for self-preservation demanded that he follow her advice, that he get on his horse and ride away until the screams faded into silence. But another, stronger instinct kept him here. He had to protect Felicity, to keep her safe. Although he was powerless to protect her in this instance, he could not resist the need to be with her, or at least as nearby as he was allowed. He could no more have left her than he could have left his own body.

Her scream came again, and he covered his face with both hands. Listening was torture, pure and simple, but he would not leave. He had shared the pleasure. Now he would share the pain.

Dawn broke and Felicity's torment ceased again, allowing her to rest once more, only to awaken to new tortures. The cycle repeated itself over and over. Day became night and then became day again. Felicity's world narrowed until it included only moments with pain and moments without. Nothing else mattered. During the moments without, she slipped into some sort of netherworld that could not really be called sleep but which, mercifully, was not consciousness either. People came and went in the room, but she no longer knew or cared who they were er what they did. She even forgot why she was here. All that mattered was when the next pain would come and whether she could live through it.

Josh paced restlessly across the parlor as he waited for the screams to start again. In the past thirty-six hours, he had all but worn a path across the large room as he sought some outlet for his frustration. He did not know which was worse, her screams or the silence. He knew the cycle by now and knew not to trust the quiet. Soon her torment would begin anew, and the sound of it would tear his soul into ragged shreds. More than once he had gone to the bedroom door, ready to fling it open and do battle with the invisible demons that tortured her. Each time he had caught himself at the last moment and forced himself to think rationally about his own helplessness. But still he knew that urge to help, and it kept him pacing anxiously, even after two sleepless nights.

The bedroom door opened and Blanche appeared. Hope soared in him for a moment. Could the silence mean…? "The baby?" he asked.

But Blanche shook her head. "Not yet." She pulled the door closed behind her and came toward him. The expression on her face sent cold chills racing down his spine.

"Felicity?" he asked reluctantly.

"She's resting now," Blanche assured him, seeing his anxiety. "But that won't last long. In a few minutes, the pains will start again."

He nodded, turning away and running a hand over his face in despair. "How much more of this can she take?"

"Not much," Blanche said, verifying his worst fears. "Josh, the baby is close to being born. We can see its head. We've been able to see it for hours, but it just won't come. We think it's because she is so small and the baby is so big."

Josh nodded again, not daring to face her lest she see the tears gathering in his eyes.

"If this keeps up," Blanche continued, "she'll die. They'll both die."

Rage exploded in his chest, fury over the injustice of it and over his own impotence. He whirled on Blanche. "Can't you do something?" he demanded, striding toward her. "Can't you help her?"

Blanche winced as his hands closed over her arms in a bone-crushing grip. "There's one thing," she told him, "but we need your help."

That shocked him so much that his hands went slack and she was able to break free of his grasp. "My help?" he repeated incredulously.

Blanche nodded, rubbing her upper arms where he had bruised them. "I saw it once, when I was a kid," she said, not bothering to add that the event had occurred in the brothel where she'd been raised. "This woman had been in labor for days, but the baby just wouldn't come. The midwife finally just pushed the baby out herself."

"Pushed it out? How?" Josh asked, horrified at the very thought.

Blanche swallowed, knowing how awful the thing she was going to suggest would sound to him. "The midwife straddled the woman, and every time she had a contraction, the midwife pushed on the baby until it finally came out."

Josh covered his face with both hands, unable even to consider such a thing. But Blanche could not let him escape. "It will hurt her, Josh," she said urgently, grabbing him the way he had grabbed her moments ago. "There's no use pretending that it won't, but if we don't do it, she's going to die. We can't pretend about that anymore either."

Josh shuddered at the horror of it. "All right," he said, his voice flat with acceptance of the unacceptable. "Do what you have to do."

Blanche swallowed again. "Josh, you have to help us. You… you have to do the pushing."

"No!"

"Yes, Josh, you have to," Blanche insisted, shaking him slightly as if to dislodge him from his decision. "I have to guide the baby out because I have the smallest hands, and Candace just doesn't have the strength. She's exhausted, and her hand…" She stopped when she realized Josh understood that he had no alternative. Candace's cut hand had healed poorly so that she had little use of it now. No one else could do the job.

Josh gazed down at Blanche's drawn face, absently noting the dark smudges under her eyes from two sleepless nights. If she looked so awful, how much must Felicity be suffering? But how much more would she suffer if he…

Felicity's scream pierced the silence and his heart. He couldn't let this go on. He couldn't just stand by and let her die, not when he had it in his power at last to help her. He closed his eyes over the agony of his decision. "I'll do it," he said at last.

Blanche sighed with one second of relief before pulling him into the bedroom. "Take your boots off and wash your hands. Then I'll show you what to do."

Josh froze in the doorway as he saw Felicity for the first time in two nights. She was lying on the bed, her beautiful hair matted and tangled, her nightdress clinging damply to her sweat-soaked skin. Her whole body was arched as she strained against the contraction. Suddenly she went limp, her breath ragged and uneven as she waited for the next onslaught. How could he…

"Josh, your boots," Blanche urged, guiding him to a chair and forcing him down on it. "Hurry."

Deep in the dark tunnel of her pain, Felicity heard his voice. She was dreaming; she knew she was. She had called for him a hundred times, but he had never come before. With great effort, she lifted her weighted eyelids to find him standing over her. He had come! He was really here! He would help her; she knew he would. "Joshua!" she cried, surprised when her voice came out as little more than a hoarse whisper. He did not reply, and he had such an odd expression on his face that Felicity wondered whether he had even heard her.

He heard her. He saw the trust, the hope in her pain-filled eyes, and he knew that she thought he had come to save her. How could he cause her even more pain? In that one moment, he would gladly have died himself rather than increase her suffering. Unfortunately, he did not have that choice.

"Joshua, hurry!" Blanche urged.

Yes, hurry, Felicity thought. Please, I want this to be over. To her amazement, Joshua climbed onto the bed beside her. On his knees, looking down at her, he reached out and stroked her cheek. "I'm sorry, Lissy," he said, and even his voice sounded odd, not like him at all, almost as if he were choking on something. "We've got to get the baby out."

Her brain was sluggish, so it took her a minute to sort out the meaning of his words. By then he had straddled her body. In the last second before the next pain overwhelmed her, she felt his hands on her abdomen and realized his intent. "No!" she screamed, but he did not stop. A searing agony tore through her as some solid part of her gave way to this irresistible force.

"It's coming!" Blanche cried. "The head's almost out! Once more, Joshua!"

Felicity could hear Candace's voice, a continuous drone far off in the distance. Vaguely, she realized the black woman was praying. But for whom? The baby, of course, that strange voice in her head reported. They all want to save the baby. Didn't Joshua say so? He was sorry, but they had to get the baby out.

Again her muscles tautened, and again his cruel hands bore down with excruciating force. Tides of blackness washed over her, tempting her to sink into them, to escape the pain.

"Oh, dear God," Blanche said, her voice faint and very far away.

"Lissy! Felicity!" Josh called, but she could not reply.

* * *

Asa Gordon glanced around the large table at the happy family group gathered for the evening meal. He was smiling his "perfect guest" smile, but all day he had been unable to shake a nagging feeling of uneasiness. Instinct told him that something was wrong, although he had no idea what it could be.

"My wife tells me that you're looking for your sister," Harry Fitzsimmons said. Harry owned the ranch Asa had come across this afternoon. Mrs. Fitzsimmons had invited him to supper and to stay the night. Actually, her invitation had been for as long as he wished to remain. Although he was sorely tempted to linger in the comfort of the Fitzsimmonses' home, Asa knew he would be moving on in the morning.

"Not exactly, Harry," Asa explained patiently. "You see, Claire passed on several years ago. It's her daughter I'm trying to find. My niece, Felicity Storm."

The Fitzsimmonses had eleven children, and every one of them was listening attentively to the story, so Asa decided to indulge them. "You see, our father did not approve of the man Claire married, so the two of them ran away. We haven't heard from them in years, not since Felicity was just a baby. Caleb, my brother-in-law, works as a traveling photographer, so keeping track of them was impossible."

"Then, last year, our father passed away," Asa continued, pausing for just the right amount of filial regret and enjoying for a moment the rapt attention the Fitzsimmonses were paying him. He was, he realized suddenly, getting awfully skillful with his lying. These stories seemed to burst, fullblown, from his lips without any conscious forethought. The idea disturbed him, but he did not let it show.

He cleared his throat and began again. "Our father passed away, and he left Felicity quite a handsome settlement. His last wish was that I find her and make sure she gets it." Asa concluded his story by lowering his eyes in humility.

"That's a very noble sentiment, Mr. Gordon," Mrs.

Fitzsimmons said. Plainly, the rest of the family thought so, too.

Asa shrugged modestly. "Unfortunately, it seems I'm doomed to failure, ma'am. Nobody in Texas has seen hide nor hair of them or their wagon for almost a year."

"What does the wagon look like?" the oldest Fitzsimmons daughter asked.

Something in her tone warned Asa that her question was more than idle curiosity. He described the wagon, but he waited vainly for any hint that she recognized having seen it before. Asa did notice that she was unusually quiet throughout the remainder of the meal. Perhaps she knew something more. Perhaps he would spend a few days at the ranch after all, just to make certain.

But he did not have to. After supper, the girl brought one of the cowboys to him.

"Slim here thinks he saw a wagon like the one you described," she informed him after making the introductions. "I thought I remembered him telling me about it, but I wanted to make sure before I said anything to you."

For the first time in many long months, Asa felt a surge of excitement, even though common sense warned him not to be too hopeful. "When did you see the wagon, and what did it look like?" Asa asked carefully.

Slim squinted his homely face as he tried to remember. "I think it was late last winter sometime. After Christmas; I know that for a fact," he began. "The wagon looked like one of them army wagons. You know the kind, with the high sides and a wooden roof."

"An ambulance," Asa supplied.

"Yeah, that's it," Slim said. "It had pictures painted on it, mountains and trees, that kind of stuff. And some fancy writing. A long word that started with a B or a P. I disremember which."

Asa was hard-pressed not to whoop with glee. Still, the sighting was months old. "Did you see the people?"

Slim nodded. "A man and a girl; his daughter, I reckoned. I rode up to see if they needed help. They were mighty skittish. I told them if they were drummers to come on over to the ranch, that everybody'd be glad to see them."

"What did they say?"

Slim shrugged. "They said they were in a hurry and wouldn't have time to stop."

"Did they say where they were going?"

"No, they didn't say," Slim reported, "but I saw their tracks a few days later. They headed south."

Asa realized on some level that he must be hard up indeed to be so delighted over such a small and ancient kernel of information. But the fact remained that it was far more than he had discovered in all his months of scouring the state of Texas for clues.

"What's south of here, Slim?" he asked, already making plans.

Chapter Nine

Felicity lifted her eyelids slowly, cautiously, hoping that when she was fully awake her pain would fade like a bad dream. But it didn't. Every muscle in her body throbbed, and her insides felt as if someone had seared her with a red-hot iron. It was labor, she thought, except that unlike labor, the pain did not recede.

She listened a moment for Blanche or Candace. They should have been bustling around her, wiping her brow, encouraging her, but the room was still. Too still. Only the faint sound of someone breathing broke the ominous silence.

Cautiously, Felicity turned her head toward the sound, afraid a sudden movement might jar new sources of agony to life. She blinked in surprise. Joshua was sitting in his wingbacked chair beside her bed, and he was sound asleep. His chair did not belong in the bedroom, her pain-fogged brain argued. And why would he sleep sitting up? And why was he in here at all? Men had no place in a birthing room. Candace had said so.

Except this was no longer a birthing room, she remembered with terrifying suddenness. Her hands went instinctively to her now-flat abdomen, heedless of the way her sore muscles protested the movement. The baby! The baby had been born!

But where was it? she wondered frantically, glancing around the shadowed room. The heavy draperies had been drawn against the afternoon sunlight, so at first she could not make out the cradle sitting empty in the corner. NO! her mind screamed when she saw it. The baby was here! She knew it was. She remembered…

But she did not remember, not exactly. Where was her baby? "Where's my baby?" she croaked, her voice hoarse and faint.

Joshua stirred, and his eyes flickered open. In another second he was fully awake. "Lissy, are you all right?" he asked anxiously, leaning over the bed to see her better.

"My baby! Where's my baby?" she repeated urgently, her fears growing with every passing second. When she saw Joshua's face twist in pain, her fear turned to horror. "NO!" she screamed aloud this time.

"There was nothing anyone could do. He was stillborn," Joshua's voice said, but she knew it was a lie.

"No! I want my baby!" she cried hysterically, struggling to sit up. If they would not bring him to her, she would go and find him.

Joshua's strong arms closed around her. "Lie still, Lissy. You'll hurt yourself," he cautioned, cradling her gently to his chest.

"I want my baby!" she sobbed over and over in a litany of despair as he rocked her and stroked the tangle of her hair. So deep was her anguish, she no longer even felt her physical pain.

Josh blinked away his own tears as he listened to her weep. How could he have done this to her? he asked himself for the thousandth time. The physical pain was bad enough, but he could not bear her grief. Once again he experienced the overwhelming helplessness he hated so much.

Felicity sobbed until her weakened body could no longer sustain her grief and she grew limp and quiet in his arms.

With infinite care, he laid her back against the pillows. Her face was pale and tear-streaked, her eyes closed, and she only whimpered slightly as he drew his arms away. With one long finger, he tenderly brushed the tears from her cheeks.

She was so quiet and so still that he thought she must be sleeping again. Reluctantly, he began to rise from the bed and return to his chair and his vigil, but the fragile sound of her voice stopped him.

"I want to see him."

"What?" Josh said, uncertain he had heard correctly.

"I want to see my baby," she repeated. With apparent effort, she lifted her eyelids again. Josh was startled by the determination reflected in the sky blue of her eyes.

But he was already shaking his head. "No, Lissy, it's better if you don't-"

"I want to see my baby!" she said fiercely, her blue eyes glinting.

"Let her see him."

Both Josh and Felicity glanced up in surprise to see Blanche standing in the doorway.

"No," Josh insisted, remembering some adage about not missing something you never had. He knew that the sight of his son lying cold and motionless, covered with Felicity's blood, would haunt him as long as he lived.

"Yes," Blanche insisted right back. "Joshua, he's beautiful. You can't let her spend the rest of her life wondering if she gave birth to a monster so hideous we were afraid to let her see it!"

"Please, Blanche," Felicity begged, her voice little more than a whisper.

Blanche turned in a rustle of skirts and disappeared. Before Josh could even think to protest, she was back, a tiny yellow bundle clutched protectively to her bosom.

Felicity recognized the blanket instantly. It was one she had hemmed so carefully in preparation for her child. She struggled back up to a sitting position and reached out eagerly.

Blanche placed the bundle in her arms with a care bordering on reverence, and then she drew back the edge of the blanket so Felicity could see the little face.

"Oh!" Felicity cried, new tears streaming from her eyes. "Oh, Blanche, you're right. He is beautiful!" Slowly, as one unwraps a precious gift, she peeled back the blanket so she could, like all new mothers, count fingers and toes. For a long time Felicity simply stared, not quite able to comprehend how something so perfect could not be alive. Gradually she came to accept that the pale, slightly bluish skin was cold and that the stiff little body would never move again.

Lovingly, she stroked the lush black fuzz that covered her son's head. Black, the way Joshua's must have been once. "He has your hair," she said, lifting her gaze to her husband and surprising a look of such naked agony on his face that she almost cried out herself.

"Yes," he said in a strangled voice, pushing himself up from the bed at last and striding away, over to the window, where he could look out and not have to see her heartbreak. How would she bear it when they had to take the child from her and put it in the ground? What comfort could he offer that would make things right? Would he ever see her smile again?

Felicity watched him in despair, knowing that she had failed him. Her one hope of winning Joshua's love had been to give him a child. That hope now lay cold and dead in her arms. Would he ever forgive her?

"I'm sorry, Felicity," Blanche said.

Felicity looked up, a little surprised to see that her friend was still in the room.

"We did everything we could," Blanche continued. "Candace said the cord must've gotten caught during the birth. I'd give anything if…"

Felicity nodded dumbly, understanding the silence as well as the words.

"I'll dress him for you if you tell me what you want on him," Blanche offered.

Oh yes, Felicity thought. There were practical things to consider. Grave clothes and burying and a graveside service. But how could she ever let him go? Her arms tightened around the infant protectively, and she lowered her face to his, pressing her lips to the ivory brow. But even her mother's kiss could not make this right again. "Something warm," she said around fresh tears. "He'll need a bonnet, too, so he won't get cold…" When this new spate of weeping ended, Blanche reached for the child.

"Not yet!" Felicity protested, not surprised to see tears on Blanche's face, too. "I just want to look at him a little while longer." But how long would be enough? Forever, she answered herself, knowing such a request was ridiculous. And yet…

"I want a picture of him," Felicity declared.

Josh turned in disbelief from his post at the window. "A picture?" he rasped stupidly, not really comprehending her request.

"Yes, I want to make a photograph of him so I'll have something to remember him by." She could see the disbelief on their faces. "We did it once for a lady in Sweetwater. Her baby had just died," Felicity defended herself, remembering the woman's pathetic gratitude and understanding it now for the first time. "Tell Cody to get everything ready. I'll want to make the plate myself, but he can do the rest," she planned, thankful that she had taken the time to train Cody so thoroughly. The boy had accompanied her on several photographic expeditions around the ranch, and he could now do everything. Unfortunately, he lacked her skill with plate making, something that came only with time and experience.

Blanche and Josh stared at her in stunned silence. What could she say to make them obey her? "If you don't do this for me, I'll do it myself," she threatened. Still clutching the baby, she made as if to scoot toward the edge of the bed, wincing as her battered body protested.

"Wait!" Blanche cried, coming forward at last. "What shall I put on him?" she asked, taking the baby from her.

"His christening dress, for the picture, and afterward his bunting," Felicity instructed, her eyes misting as she realized the futility of trying to keep him warm. "And tell Cody-"

"I'll tell Cody," Josh said, breaking out of his shock at last. He could not bring the baby back, but at least he could grant her this small request. "But you can't make the plate. You're too weak to go out to the wagon."

"Then you'll have to carry me," she told him stubbornly. "I want this plate to be perfect, and Cody can't do a perfect plate yet."

In the end, Josh did carry her out, bundled in a quilt. Blanche posed the baby in his cradle in the afternoon sunshine. To the casual observer, he appeared to be asleep. Before Felicity would let Josh take her back inside, she insisted on seeing the negative. Only when she judged that it was perfect did she consent to return to her bed. Unutterably weary, she was asleep even before Josh returned her to her bed.

When she awoke again, a new day had dawned. Joshua sat next to her bed, and he was wearing his black suit. This time Candace brought her baby to her. He was dressed in his bunting, as if for a long trip.

When Josh was sure that Felicity was not going to lose control of herself again, he said, "We have to decide on a name for him."

Oh yes, more practical matters. Something for the tombstone, she thought bitterly. Why couldn't they just leave her alone with her baby? "I'd like to call him Caleb, after my father," she said instead.

Josh smiled sadly. "I thought you wanted to name him after me," he reminded her. They had discussed the matter several times, and Felicity had been adamant that a firstborn son should be named for his father.

Felicity's head snapped up. He could not be serious. Surely he did not want to waste his name on a dead baby.

"How about Caleb Joshua?" he suggested, seeing her uncertainty.

Felicity nodded, still not able to understand him, but unwilling to analyze his offer too closely. It was the name she would have chosen herself had she suspected his willingness to accept it.

"Gus made a… a box," he said, loath to use the word "coffin." "And we're going to put him right next to my father."

"That will be nice," she said inanely, not knowing what response was appropriate. The thought of putting her baby in a box in the ground was too horrifying even to contemplate.

They sat in silence for a while, as Felicity made her peace with the fact that she would never see her child again. Then Blanche came in and took him for the last time. Once more Felicity kissed the cold brow, and once more Joshua held her while she wept.

Although no one told her what they were doing, she heard them come and carry the coffin out of the house. Joshua left her then, promising to return soon, and Blanche came in to sit with her. Her body still ached, but she could already notice an improvement, even after only twenty-four hours. Her heart was another matter entirely. Nothing would ever ease that agony.

"I know it's hard to believe right now, but someday soon it won't hurt quite as much," Blanche said.

Felicity stared at her.

"Oh, it never goes away completely. You'll always miss him, always wonder what kind of a man he might have become if he'd only had a chance, but the pain gets so you can live with it, after a while." Seeing Felicity's skepticism, she added, "I know. I've buried two myself."

"Blanche!" Felicity cried out in instant sympathy. How could anyone survive this twice? "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

Blanche smiled sadly. "I didn't want to scare you. And I didn't want you to feel sorry for me, either. It's not much comfort, I know, but you're young and healthy. You'll have another chance, and maybe next time you'll be lucky. It won't make you forget the one you lost, but it will give you something to hope for."

As usual, Blanche's forthrightness had helped Felicity over a difficult situation. For the first time since she had awakened to discover her loss, she thought she might survive it.

Felicity gazed out the ranch house window at the endless stretch of prairie. Winter had turned the emerald grass a golden brown, curing the nourishing feed into hay right on the stem so the cattle could graze all year round. A very efficient process, she reflected absently, making it possible for a rancher to run thousands of head of cattle. If they had had to worry about penning and feeding so many cows, even during the relatively short Texas winter, then ranching would have been impossible.

But Felicity was not inclined to count such blessings today. A blue norther had blown in during the night, dropping the temperature below freezing and whipping stinging snow flurries across the prairie. Outside the wind howled, sending blue-black cloud scudding across the broad sky. Felicity pulled her new Paisley shawl more closely around her as the wind found a tiny crack beside the window and stole inside.

The shawl had been a Christmas gift from Joshua. She had never dreamed of actually owning such a fine garment. It must have cost at least twenty-five dollars. Even Blanche had said she'd never seen one so beautiful. A gift like that should have made Felicity extremely happy. Wasn't it proof that Joshua still cared for her even though she'd lost his child?

But he'd bought the shawl before the baby died, the voice of reason reminded her, back when he thought he would be honoring the mother of his son. And now, more than two months later, he still would not sleep with her. He had moved all his things back into his old bedroom, claiming that he did not want to disturb her rest while she recovered.

But she was recovered, completely, and she was tired of sleeping alone in their bed. She wanted her husband back. She wanted things to be the way they had been before. But how could she explain that to Joshua? And would it make any difference? What if he did not want things to be the way they were before?

Weary from her thoughts, she turned away from the window and returned to her seat by the hearth in hopes of chasing away the chill that seemed permanently settled in her soul. Picking up the Bible that lay on the table beside her chair, she flipped it open, turning automatically to the book of II Samuel and the story of David and Bathsheba. Not the part about their adultery, but the part where God punished them by killing their child. At first, right after her baby's death, Felicity had tortured herself, wondering what evil she might have done to have caused her baby's death. That phase was over now. Now she simply accepted the fact, as Blanche had assured her she would one day.

Still the story drew her, and she read it once again, up to the verse where David learns of the baby's death and says, "Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me." For the first time, she continued to read, her eyes drawn by something she had never noticed before in the next verse.

"And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her; and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon."

David comforted his wife and she bare him a son! Of course! That was what Felicity needed. She needed Joshua's comfort. And she needed another son. That was the hope Blanche had told her about.

Felicity's lips twitched into a smile, her first real smile in a long time. It was all so simple, she didn't know why she had not realized it before. All she had to do was tell Joshua… That thought stopped her. How could she explain to him that she wanted him to move back into their room so he would make love to her and give her another baby? Joshua seemed perfectly at ease discussing such personal things, but Felicity knew she never would be. Maybe if she hinted…

But no, Felicity had hinted on more than one occasion that he need not sleep in the other room. He had ignored her. She would have to do more than hint if she wanted him back. Her smile puckered into a worried frown as she considered various possibilities.

After supper Josh sat down beside the fire, sincerely wondering if he would ever get warm again. All day long he had been riding against the icy wind looking for cows that had drifted too far afield trying to outrun the storm. Even his heavy sheepskin jacket had not adequately protected him from the cold. Now he turned his chair toward the hearth and stretched out his long legs in an attempt to absorb as much heat as possible into his frozen bones.

"Are you still cold?" Felicity asked. She, too, had pulled her chair closer to the fire.

"I'm starting to thaw," he allowed warily, glancing toward her and then quickly returning his gaze to the flickering flames. She had been acting strangely all evening. Well, not strange exactly, but different. He should have been glad to see the pall of sadness finally lift from her eyes, but those eyes were making him very uncomfortable.

She'd been watching him ever since the moment he'd come through the front door. Her smile of greeting had cheered him instantly until he noticed the overbright glitter of her eyes. She was just a little too happy to see him and more than a little too eager to please. Several times during the evening she had touched him, fleeting little brushes of her hands that lingered just a second too long to be accidental.

With heart-wrenching certainty, he knew what she wanted, and it was the same thing he wanted, too. She wanted to make love. Long ago, before tragedy had entered their lives, he had seen her like this often. He had lived to see her eyes kindle with desire, and in the past few months the sight of her face alight with wanting him had haunted his dreams.

Now she was almost giddy with that desire, although he supposed she would have died of embarrassment if she had realized how obvious her feelings were. In the past she had always waited for him to make the first move, only letting herself respond when she was sure of his intentions. But would she wait tonight? And what would she do when she discovered he had no intention of making love with her?

Felicity waited in vain for the invitation she wanted him to make, the invitation that would have followed naturally during the early days of their marriage. He would have said that he was freezing, and would she come over and warm him up? Then he would have pulled her down into his lap and kissed her in prelude to carrying her off to their bedroom.

Self-consciously, she touched the sleek line of her hair. Did he no longer find her attractive? Uncertain hands smoothed her dress. She had her figure back now. Surely he had noticed. But what if he had noticed and still did not want her?

No, she insisted silently, he did still want her. It was just that he thought she was still sick. No one had told him otherwise, but she would remedy that. "Spring will be here soon," she said conversationally. "I certainly would like to get some winter photographs before the trees leaf out. Especially that tree where we had the picnic, remember?"

Josh nodded, not daring to look at her as memories of that happy day flooded back to torment him.

"Now that I'm completely recovered, maybe you'd take me out on the first nice day after this storm breaks," she suggested.

"Cody would be more help," Josh said, knowing he could not trust himself alone with her under that tree.

"But you'd be more fun," she said, forcing herself to smile in what she hoped was an attractive manner and placing her hand on his arm.

Josh almost winced when he felt her touch and saw the fragile hope shimmering in her eyes. How could he smash that hope? But he would have to, and soon. "Lissy," he began, uncertain of what to say next.

Her name was enough. He had not called her "Lissy" since the day of the funeral, and at the sound of the word, her heart melted. No longer proud or even embarrassed, she flung herself out of her chair and into his arms.

"Oh, Joshua," she breathed against the warm curve of his neck before lifting her mouth for his kiss.

Desire scorched through him like wildfire, igniting every particle of his body. The smell, the taste, the feel of her were unspeakably wonderful, and like a man long starved, he wanted nothing more than to devour her. For one blissful second he held her fast, feasting on the lips she gave so willingly. Only at the last moment did sanity prevail.

Using his last ounce of strength, he pushed her away and held her there. "We can't do this," he said hoarsely, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

"Yes, we can," she assured him with a tremulous smile. "I'm fine now! Candace said-"

"I know you're fine, but we still can't do this. I can't make love to you, Felicity. Can't and won't," he added grimly.

Felicity stared at him in horror. The "can't" made no sense to her, but she understood the "won't" only too well. Humiliation welled up in her until she felt her very breath strangle in her throat. With a cry of anguish she broke free of him and scrambled to her feet. Away, she had to get away. She had made a fool of herself, throwing herself at a man who didn't want her. How could she ever face him again?

Catching up her skirts, she ran toward the sanctuary of her bedroom, but he was right behind her. When she would have slammed the door, he caught it and pushed it open again, sending her flying across the room.

"Get out of here!" she cried, frantically dashing away the tears that had already begun to streak down her face. What more could he want now that he had stripped her of the last vestiges of her pride?

"I have to explain," Josh said, cursing himself for a bumbling fool. How could he have handled this so badly? How could he have made her cry again when he had sworn he would protect her for the rest of her life? "There's a good reason why we can't make love ever again."

"I don't want to hear it!" she shouted. Did he expect her to stand here and listen to him say he did not want her anymore? Her old suspicions about him and Blanche rushed up again.

"Yes, you do," he shouted back, grabbing her by the arms and shaking her slightly. "Listen to me!" he commanded.

Unable to resist, she obeyed, but she refused to look at his face, focusing instead on one of his shirt buttons. How could she bear this?

"Felicity," he began, tempering his voice to gentleness, "if I… if we make love, sooner or later you'll get pregnant again."

Her eyes flew to his face, her mouth open in wonder. He had guessed her purpose, but why should he resist? He wanted a child as much as she did. Hadn't he prophesied that a hundred years from now Logans would still be living here?

Josh took a deep breath to steady himself against the onslaught of emotions her nearness and the vulnerability in her eyes produced. "If you have another baby, I'm afraid… I'm afraid you'll die."

She quailed under the impact of his words. Die? No! Such a thing was unthinkable. "I won't die," she insisted. "I didn't die this time and-"

"You almost did," he said grimly. "If I hadn't… done what I did, you would have."

Felicity shook her head in silent denial, but she knew he was right. They had never spoken of what had happened during the final stages of the delivery. Felicity had been afraid to find out his real reasons, afraid to learn that he had only been trying to save the baby. Now it seemed the truth was even more awful.

"Blanche and Candace came to me afterward. They told me that more than likely, any child I give you will be too big for you to deliver. Some women just aren't built for childbirth, and you're one of them. I won't put you through that again, Lissy. I can't."

"But the first time is always hard," she argued, unwilling to even acknowledge what his words would mean to their marriage. "Next time it will be easier! I promise!"

Josh shook his head. "I can't take that chance," he said, rubbing his hands gently up and down her arms. He took another deep breath and let it out on a shuddering sigh. "I love you too much to lose you, Lissy. I can't spend the rest of my life alone, knowing that I killed you."

"No!" she cried in protest, burying her face against his chest. How could this be happening? Joshua, her beloved Joshua, had just said he loved her, the words she had longed to hear for almost a year. Why did she feel as if her heart had been torn from her body? He loved her but he would not make love to her because he loved her too much to lose her. The irony of it made her want to laugh and cry at the same time. The choking sound that struggled out of her throat was a sob.

He held her as she cried, savoring the delicious warmth of her body next to his and knowing that when he let her go this time, he could not hold her again. After a long time her weeping ceased, and still they clung to each other.

"Joshua?" she said, her voice small and muffled against his chest. "I love you, too."

Josh crushed her to him, blinking rapidly so he would not disgrace himself. How could such beautiful words cause so much pain?

Her embrace was as fierce as his. The knowledge that he loved her and that he still wanted her made her strong. "We don't have to be apart anymore," she ventured. "I mean, you can sleep with me even though we can't…"

But Josh shook his head. "It's hard enough keeping my hands off you when you're on the other side of the house, Lissy. I'm not a saint."

Felicity pulled back so she could see his face. "But there must be something, something we don't know about. Candace isn't a doctor. Maybe if I saw a doctor, he could help. He could think of something, I know!"

Josh smiled down at her, a loving but regretful smile. "Maybe," he said, unconvinced but startled by the realization that he should have been the one insisting on finding some other solution. Maybe he really was a saint.

"There are doctors in San Antonio. We can go there, as soon as the weather breaks," she said, feeling better already. "We'll find a way. I know we will!"

Josh did not have the heart to disillusion her. "Sure we will," he said. "Now kiss me good night, Mrs. Logan. Gently," he added when she threw her arms around his neck.

The kiss was long and sweet, bittersweet, and it left them both trembling. When Josh closed the bedroom door behind him, he made straight for the liquor cabinet, hoping something inside it would have the power to quench the fire raging in his blood.

Felicity paced her room far into the night, wrestling with a problem that seemed to have no solution.

* * *

Asa Gordon reined up outside the ranch house and reached up to pull the scarf away from his mouth. Damn this weather, he thought with irritation. Last night he'd had to make camp on the frozen ground. At least the snow had only amounted to flurries. So much for sleeping under the bright Texas stars, he thought with a self-mocking grin.

"Hello, the house!" he called, giving the traditional western greeting. While he waited, he noted with regret the flowerpots on the porch holding the withered remnants of once lush foliage. If it were spring, he could have complimented the lady on her flowers. The way he was feeling right now-cold and tired and hungry-he would be hard-pressed to think of any compliments at all. Maybe he would settle for a comfortable night's sleep and forego any questions on this stop. In his present mood, he did not think he could cope with any more disappointments.

The front door opened slowly and a brightly clad figure stepped out onto the porch. The woman squinted in the bright winter sunlight, trying to recognize him.

"Good afternoon, ma'am," he said, doffing his hat. "My name is Asa Gordon, and I'm ashamed to admit I'm lost."

The woman smiled, a broad, brazen smile that lit up her whole face. "And I'm mighty glad to meet a man willing to admit it," she replied. "You must be half-froze, too. Put your horse in the corral and then come back here. I'll see if I can't scare you up some hot coffee and cold beans."

"I would be eternally grateful to you, ma'am," he replied gallantly, hoping his delight did not show on his face. The woman was spectacular, buxom and beautiful and bold. And a widow, too, or he'd missed his guess. "That is, if you're sure your husband won't mind."

"I'm a widow, Mr, Gordon. I make my own rules," she said, her smile still bright.

"Well then, I'd be glad to accept your hospitality, Mrs____________________"

"Delano. Blanche Delano," she supplied.

Mrs. Blanche Delano did better than cold beans. Asa sat down to a full meal of beef and beans and biscuits. When he had eaten his fill and drunk several cups of strong, hot coffee, he had already begun to plan how to extend his visit here. Widow Delano was simply too good to pass up. Perhaps he'd tell her his sad story and make her ranch his base of operations for a while.

"You mentioned you were lost, Mr. Gordon," she said when he had finished his meal. She was sitting across from him at the dining room table sipping her own cup of coffee. "Where was it you were heading? Maybe we can set you straight again."

"I guess I'm not really lost, not strictly speaking. I don't think you can be lost if you don't really know where you're going," he began with an apologetic grin. Certain he had her full attention, he continued. "You see, I'm looking for someone, my brother-in-law and his daughter, my niece. I've been in Texas for almost a year now trying to locate them, but so far I haven't had any luck."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Blanche said, taking another sip of her coffee. "Don't you have any idea where they settled?"

"That's just it, Mrs. Delano, they never settled anywhere. They kept on the move. My brother-in-law is a photographer, and he has a wagon that he takes from town to town and… Are you all right?" he asked in concern.

Blanche continued to choke on the coffee that had slid down the wrong way and waved away his concern with one hand. "I'm fine," she said when she could speak again. "Tell me more about your brother-in-law. Why are you trying to find him?"

"Well, it's not him I'm trying to find so much as my niece. You see, when my sister Claire married, our father did not approve, so she and Caleb ran away. We haven't heard from them in years, not since the girl was a baby."

"Then, last year, our father had a bad spell with his heart. The doctor warned him that unless he started taking it easy, he might not live much longer. I suppose he started thinking about dying without ever having seen his granddaughter, and he sent me off to find her."

"And you've been looking for a whole year," she marveled. "Don't you ever get discouraged?"

Asa grinned. "Every day for the past few months, especially when the weather's bad. But if you knew my father, you'd understand why I don't want to go back without her."

Blanche nodded, wondering just how formidable old Mr. Gordon would have to be to intimidate this man. Something told her Asa Gordon's tenacity was inspired by something far more noble than fear of his father's wrath. "And what did you say your niece's name is, Mr. Gordon?"

Every one of Asa's instincts piqued at her question. "Felicity. Felicity Storm."

Blanche could not believe her luck. After all these years she had finally found a man whose strength, both mental and physical, made her feel delightfully fragile and feminine. From what he had told her about his family, she gathered that his father was well-to-do, meaning any attraction he felt for her would be due to her considerable charms and not to her prosperous ranch. Finally, he had turned out to be her best friend's uncle. What could be better?

Asa Gordon could not believe his luck. After all these years he had finally met a woman who excited more than just his sexual interest. Blanche Delano was a woman he wanted to spend some time getting to know, both before and after he bedded her. Now any chance of that was shot to hell. But how could he have known she would turn out to be bosom buddies with Felicity Storm? And why hadn't he followed his first impulse and not told her his "story"?

Asa stole a glance at Blanche where she sat next to him in the buggy. She did not look like the kind of woman who approved of lies. Or liars.

"We'd better get a move on or we won't get there before dark," Blanche said, her smile bright with anticipation. She could hardly wait to see Felicity's face when she met Asa. The girl would be so happy to discover that she wasn't really alone in the world, that she had a family, a real family. Since the baby's death, Felicity had been so depressed. This was just the lift she needed.

Asa reluctantly slapped the horses into a faster gait. Getting to the Logan ranch quickly was something he was loath to do. How had he ever let Blanche talk him into going over there this very night? Or let her convince him that she needed to accompany him? The last thing he wanted was to have Blanche present him as the girl's long-lost uncle and then have to contradict the story right in front of the girl and her husband. If Logan was any kind of man at all, he'd run Asa off with a shotgun, and who could blame him? Asa would be lucky if they even let him explain the truth.

Oh well, he thought philosophically, Richard Winthrop had not hired him to bring the girl back, only to find her. Asa had already accomplished that. If Winthrop wanted her so badly, he could come and get her himself. The prospect of Felicity's husband running Richard Winthrop off his property at gunpoint cheered Asa considerably as the Logan ranch buildings appeared in the distance.

"Who could he be?" Felicity wondered aloud as she and Candace peered out the front window at the man accompanying Blanche up the ranch house steps.

"Never saw him before," Candace said. "I'd of remembered a man like that. He looks like he'd be a handful, but then I reckon that's how she likes her men."

Felicity stifled a giggle at Candace's outrageous remark. "And what a strange time to come calling, right at suppertime," she mused. "Unless she has news that just won't wait. Oh, Candace, do you suppose…"

Candace sniffed dismissively. "If she had a man like that courting her, everybody in six counties would know about it by now. Course, judging from the way he took her arm to help her up the steps, I'd say something might be just starting up."

They had no further opportunity for speculation because their visitors had reached the door. Felicity ran to open it.

"Blanche! It's so nice to see you. You're just in time for supper, too," Felicity greeted her, trying not to stare too openly at the man as he stepped into the parlor and closed the door against the outside chill.

"You'll be glad to give me supper when you hear the news I've brought," Blanche said after giving Felicity a hug. "Where's Joshua?"

"He's getting cleaned up. I'll call him. Mr. Logan! We have company!" she called, a little self-conscious that Blanche would see him coming out of his old bedroom. Would her friend wonder at their sleeping arrangements?

But Blanche seemed too excited to notice. In fact, Felicity was afraid Blanche might just burst before she could tell her news. Luckily, Josh came right out at her call.

"You picked a mighty cold night to come all this way fora free meal," Josh teased as he came through the bedroom door, but at the sight of a strange man in his parlor, his smile faded to polite wariness.

"Joshua, Felicity, I'd like you to meet Asa Gordon," Blanche offered, barely suppressing her triumphant smile.

Josh stepped forward and shook hands with the stranger, and Felicity nodded and smiled, completely puzzled by Blanche's mysterious mood. Of course, simply knowing a man like Asa Gordon must be rather exciting, Felicity admitted. He was, as Candace had said, a real handful, big and tall, and he looked as if he'd probably walk right up and spit in the devil's eye, given the opportunity. His face was brown and weathered, but not as weathered as most men's his age. She had the feeling he had not lived an outdoor life. When she heard his accent, she realized she had judged correctly. He was an easterner.

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Logan, ma'am," Asa said, nodding to both of them. He'd been right. Logan was definitely the shotgun type. He'd better watch his step. "You'll have to pardon us for dropping in right at mealtime like this-"

"It's all my fault," Blanche interrupted. "I couldn't wait another minute to tell you. Felicity, Mr. Gordon is… oh, you'll never guess! He's your uncle!"

"Uncle?!" Josh and Felicity repeated in unison, both equally astonished.

Asa could have groaned aloud. He'd wanted to tell them himself, carefully skirting any reference to his supposed relationship to the girl. He should have known Blanche would beat him to it.

"Yes," Blanche hurried on, heedless of Asa's dismay. "He lives in Philadelphia, and you have a grandfather, too. He almost died last year, and he decided he wanted to see you after all these years that your mother and father kept you from him, so he sent Asa to find you. He's been looking for you for almost a year, since right around the time you came here, I suppose, but he couldn't find you, of course, until today when he stopped by my house and…" Blanche paused for breath, throwing up her hands in surrender when she realized her explanation was making no sense. "Anyway, don't you see? Asa is your uncle and you have a grandfather and maybe even cousins and who knows what else. Felicity, you have a family!"

Even in her confusion, Felicity understood that much. This fascinating man was her uncle, her own flesh and blood. In an instant she took in his curly brown hair with its distinguished gray streaks at the temples, his perceptive chocolate-colored eyes with the squint lines at the corners, and his broad mouth that she knew smiled too seldom.

Her own mouth opened into a smile of delight. "Welcome to our home, Uncle Asa," she said, moving toward him. Impulsively, she reached out to him and, rising up on tiptoe, placed a small kiss on his whisker-roughened cheek.

Asa stared down at her in growing horror, watching the joy flicker in her lovely blue eyes. How had he gotten into this? he wondered frantically, feeling the heat rise in his neck. And when was the last time he had blushed? Long before Felicity Storm Logan was ever born, he was certain. He had to end this charade immediately.

"I'm not your uncle, Mrs. Logan," he said gruffly.

Felicity stepped back as if she'd been burned. "What?" she said, confused all over again.

"But Asa, you told me-" Blanche protested.

"I know what I told you, Blanche… Mrs. Delano," Asa corrected himself. She had given him permission to call her by her given name when she had thought him an honorable man. He could no longer claim that privilege. "It was a lie."

"A lie!" Blanche echoed incredulously. "You mean everything you told me-"

"Not everything," Asa informed her, grateful that for once he had told the real story. "I'm not her uncle. The rest is true."

"And what is the rest?" Josh Logan demanded with quiet menace, his gray eyes narrowed to deadly slits. Asa noted that he had stepped forward and placed his hands protectively on his wife's shoulders. Asa could still feel the girl's sweet kiss and could not bring himself to look at her face, to see the disappointment written there. He sighed wearily.

"The truth is this. Twenty years ago, when Claire Maxwell married Caleb Storm, her father disowned her. She and Storm ran away. Mrs. Storm kept in touch with her sister for a while, so your grandfather knew when you were born, Mrs. Logan, but then your mother stopped writing. For years, no one knew where you were. Your father wrote to tell your aunt when your mother died, and he mentioned that he was making a living as a photographer. More years passed, and then your grandfather had a mild heart attack. He started thinking about putting his life in order and decided he wanted to see his one and only grandchild before he died. That was a little over a year ago. He hired me to track you down."

"Hired you?" Josh repeated scornfully.

"Yes," Asa admitted, uncowed. "I'm a Pinkerton detective."

"A Pinkerton!" Blanche cried in outrage. "Oh, Josh, I'm so sorry! If I'd known-"

"It's not your fault, Blanche," Josh said quietly. "He lied to you."

Felicity listened to all this like one in a trance. Too much information had entered her brain at one time for her to take it all in. This man was her uncle, except he wasn't really, but he had come to take her to her grandfather whom she hadn't known existed.

"Lissy, are you all right?" Josh asked.

She nodded, but he did not seem to notice. "Here, sit down. This has been a shock." Josh led her to the big chair by the fire and seated her in it.

"How could you!" Blanche railed at Gordon. "I told you she just lost a baby. She's not well, and now this on top of everything else. If I was a man, I'd shoot you where you stand!"

That much was obvious, Asa acknowledged. At the moment, he felt so low he might even have let her.

"And a detective." Blanche spat out the word as if it left a bad taste in her mouth. She did not need to say more. Asa knew only too well what many people thought of private detectives, that they were only one step-if that-above the criminals they investigated. Allan Pinkerton was fighting hard to improve their image, but many people fiercely resisted the concept of peacetime spying. Obviously,

Blanche Delano was one of them.

"I'm sorry," Asa said, successfully hiding his own disappointment over Blanche's contempt. "I never meant to distress you, Mrs. Logan. I'll tell your grandfather where you are. I'm sure he'll be in touch. Goodby." He turned to the door, grateful he was going to be allowed to make such a dignified retreat, and even more grateful he had thought to tie his own horse on behind Blanche Delano's buggy for just such a contingency.

"Wait!" Felicity cried. "Don't leave!"

"You don't want that man here," Josh insisted, placing a restraining hand on her shoulder. "Get out of here, Gordon, and don't come back."

"No, please, Joshua! I want him to stay! There are so many things I need to know. Please!" Felicity entreated.

Josh looked into her eyes, and for the first time in many months, he saw hope reflected in their depths. As much as he detested Asa Gordon and everything he stood for, he could not snuff out that hope.

"All right, Gordon, you can stay until you've answered my wife's questions. You owe her that much," Josh said.

Asa studied Joshua Logan's steely gray eyes for a moment before deciding to accept the invitation. As much as he respected Logan's eagerness to protect his wife, Asa also had a strong sense of self-preservation that warned him to be very careful in how he treated Mrs. Logan.

"Please, sit down, Mr. Gordon," Felicity urged, impatient with Joshua's attempts at intimidating their visitor. She indicated the settee which faced the chair in which she sat, and with apparent reluctance, Gordon came over and sat down. She noticed he had not removed his coat. Probably he was prepared to make a hasty retreat if necessary. "Tell me everything you know about my grandfather," she entreated.

Asa cleared his throat, aware that Blanche had removed her cape and taken a seat to his left. Not allowing himself to look at her, he concentrated on Felicity Logan's perfect face.

"Your grandfather is Henry Maxwell. He makes his home in Philadelphia, and he made his fortune in railroads. Perhaps you've heard of him."

Felicity had not, but Blanche had. "Henry Maxwell? Not the Henry Maxwell!" she exclaimed.

Asa nodded grimly.

"Who is he?" Felicity asked.

"Like the man said, he made his fortune in railroads," Josh explained. He was sitting on the arm of her chair, and now he took her hand gently, as if he were delivering bad news. "Your grandfather built a lot of railroads over in Europe somewhere. He's famous."

"It was Russia," Asa corrected, "but your husband is right. Henry Maxwell is quite well known."

"And he must be a millionaire," Blanche added.

"Oh yes, many times over," Asa confirmed. "That is why he could afford to hire a Pinkerton detective to search for you. I've been on the case for almost a year, but we had someone else looking for you long before that."

"Then someone was following me!" Felicity said. "I always had this funny feeling that someone was chasing us. My father always said I was silly, but somehow I knew."

"I doubt that anyone really was 'chasing' you, Mrs. Logan," Asa said. "You see, we didn't actually start on the case until just a few months before your father passed away. What you may have sensed was that your father was running away-from your grandfather."

"But why?" Felicity asked, appalled at the thought that her father had feared or disliked her grandfather so much that he had actually fled to avoid him.

"Because when your mother died, Mr. Maxwell offered to take you in," Asa said. "Actually, it was more of a demand. I think he even sent someone to get you, but when they got there, you and your father were gone. Your father covered his tracks well, and after a few months, Mr. Maxwell gave up hope of ever locating you."

"Until now," Josh corrected grimly.

"Yes, until now," Asa confirmed. "As I told Mrs. Delano, Mr. Maxwell had a bad spell with his heart. He began to consider his own mortality and decided to find you if it was the last thing he did. Somehow he traced you to Texas, and you know the rest of the story."

"Mr. Gordon has been on the trail himself for almost a year," Blanche supplied bitterly. "He's been traveling up and down the state telling his lies and asking for word of you. He's a very dedicated man."

Asa winced at the sarcasm in her voice, but he decided not to respond. Instead he waited to see if Felicity had any more questions.

Felicity considered all the things he had told her. It explained so much that she had never understood before. And to think, she had a family about which she had never known. An emotion she hardly recognized stirred in her. Her life had been joyless for so many weeks, she needed a moment to comprehend the surge of happiness she felt. "Do I have any more relatives besides my grandfather?"

"Your mother's sister is still living, and there's a… a cousin or two, I think," Asa said, thinking of Richard Winthrop and deciding not to give him too much importance. With luck, the girl might never even have to know Winthrop existed.

"Oh, Mr. Logan, I have a family," Felicity said, reaching out to squeeze his hand, so overwhelmed with her own wonder that she did not notice the dread that flickered over her husband's face. "Do you suppose they'd like to come and visit us?" she asked hopefully.

Asa Gordon shook his head. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but the last I heard, your grandfather was not doing very well. He's bedridden, and his doctors don't hold out much hope for his recovery."

"No!" Felicity cried, unwilling to accept the possibility that the grandfather she had only just learned about could be snatched from her so suddenly.

Asa did not bother to suggest that she might want to visit the old man. She would think of it soon enough herself, even though her husband would not like the idea, judging from his expression. Far better that the suggestion come from her than from Asa. "Is there anything else you'd like to know?" he asked, eager to be on his way.

"Yes," Josh said, rising to his feet. "What are you going to do now?"

Asa took the cue and rose also, not wanting to be at even the slightest disadvantage with Josh Logan. "I am going to telegraph Mr. Maxwell and tell him where his granddaughter is. After that my job is over."

Josh curled his hands into fists as he fought for control over his warring emotions. Part of him was happy for his wife, and grateful to see that beautiful face once more alight when once he had wondered if she would ever smile again. The other part of him was twisted in agony over the knowledge that Felicity-the woman he had chosen particularly because she had no one else in the world except him-now belonged to one of the richest men in America also. Her grandfather would want her back, too, the way his mother's family had wanted her back. Hadn't Gordon said that when Maxwell had sent for her the first time, it had been a demand?

Maxwell would demand her again, Josh knew. If he did, whom would she choose? Did Josh have a chance of holding her when all he had to offer was the sterile mockery of a marriage? When to offer her more might cause her death? And when Maxwell could offer her the world and more?

Although Asa did not understand the reasons for it, he recognized Josh's fury. "I reckon I'll be on my way now," he said, turning once more for the door.

"You can't go now," Felicity said, rising swiftly and rushing to her husband's side so she could stop any protest he might make. "It's pitch-dark out and freezing cold. Your horse might fall and break a leg, or you might get lost, or anything could happen. Please, stay to supper and then spend the night in the bunkhouse. You won't be able to send your telegram until morning anyway."

She watched Asa Gordon's brown gaze dart first to Blanche and then to Josh, judging their reactions to the invitation. Obviously they did not approve, but Felicity was not going to let that stop her. Whatever their opinion of Asa Gordon and Pinkerton detectives, the man had brought her wonderful news. Besides, she could not seem to shake loose of that very brief moment when she had thought he was her uncle. If she ever had an uncle, she wanted him to be just like Asa Gordon. "You're very welcome here," she assured him, giving Josh a glance that dared him to contradict her.

"You might as well stay till morning," Josh agreed grudgingly, surrendering to the inevitable.

"And Blanche, you'll stay, too, won't you?" Felicity added, noticing for the first time the odd look on her friend's face. Felicity suddenly realized that Blanche's disappointment went far deeper than having been duped by a clever detective. Blanche had seen all the same things in Asa Gordon that Felicity had, but Blanche had not seen him as an uncle. Blanche had seen him as a man. Instinctively, Felicity knew she had to keep the two of them together somehow. Blanche was angry now, but when she cooled off, she might forgive Asa Gordon. That, Felicity also knew, might be very good indeed.

Asa stayed for supper, and Felicity seated him at her right hand. The men of the Rocking L accepted him immediately, perhaps because they were all so glad to see Mrs. Logan cheerful once again. At any rate, by the time the meal was over, Felicity had managed to draw out at least a sketchy outline of Asa Gordon's very eventful life.

If Blanche was impressed, she gave no indication of it. Instead she sat in uncharacteristic silence throughout the meal and retired to her bedroom soon afterward. She took time only to apologize once more to Felicity and Josh for her part in bringing Asa Gordon into their lives.

Josh was equally as reticent, treating Gordon more like an intruder than a guest, but Felicity bade Gordon a sincerely kind "good night" when he left for the bunkhouse.

"I'll leave for town early, Mrs. Logan, so I'll have time to get a reply to my telegram before the day is over," he told her.

"Please tell my grandfather how happy I am to find out about him, and that I hope he's feeling well," she said. "And then come back here to stay the night. I'll want to know what he has to say."

"I'll bring back any message," he promised, not committing himself further than that. He didn't bother to look to Logan for a confirmation to her invitation, knowing the rancher would not give one.

Josh listened to the exchange with reluctant admiration. As much as he detested what Gordon had done to them, he had to respect the man. The detective had managed to maintain his dignity in a very difficult situation. Not many men could have so stoically endured a meal with people who so obviously disapproved of him, and fewer still could have stood up under Blanche Delano's contempt, especially not if they were as taken with her as Gordon so obviously was. Still Josh could not help but wish he would never have to see the detective again.

When the door closed behind Gordon, Felicity turned back to face Josh. "Isn't this wonderful?" she demanded, hugging herself for fear she might burst with happiness. "Just think! I have a family! A real family!"

"I thought I was your family," Josh remarked, the calmness of his voice giving no indication of the raw emotions churning inside him.

But Felicity sensed them, and when she focused on his face, she saw the anger and the hurt he was being so careful to hide. "Of course you're my family," she said, hurrying to him. "You're my husband, my very, very closest family." As if to prove that, she slipped her arms around him and held him close, but to her surprise, he did not return the embrace. Instead, he stood ramrod-stiff and unresponsive.

Josh stared down at the top of her golden head, gritting his teeth against the wave of desire that threatened to drown him. He had wanted her every minute of every day since the first time they had made love, but never more than at this moment. He needed to take her and love her as he had never loved her before, to bury himself in her velvet depths until the two of them became one being. He needed to confirm the newly spoken bond of love between them, but he knew he could not. To do so might put her life in danger, the life he now knew meant more to him than his own.

Added to the agonizing knowledge that he could not confirm their bond was the suspicion that that bond now lay in grave danger of being broken. Asa Gordon had brought with him a threat, the threat that Felicity might leave Josh the very same way his mother had left all those years ago. What would Felicity do when Maxwell demanded her presence, as Josh knew he would? Was her love for him strong enough to hold her here when he could offer her only half a life? Josh's mother had loved him, but she had left him anyway, unable to resist the temptations her family's money offered.

Felicity held Josh more tightly, unable to understand his resistance. Beneath her ear she could hear his heart hammering. Beneath her hands she could feel his muscles strain as he held himself in check. "Joshua, I love you," she whispered.

Her words snapped the slender thread of his control. His arms closed around her with bone-crushing force and his lips found hers in a devouring kiss. Felicity surrendered eagerly, clinging to him with every ounce of her strength. She offered herself to him with complete abandon as her blood turned to liquid fire and warmed places that had been cold for far too long.

"Love me, Joshua. Please, love me," she breathed against the heated skin of his face. "I'm not afraid."

But Josh was afraid, afraid of losing her. Which did he fear more, losing her to Maxwell or losing her to death? He could not have said, and in the next moment, it no longer mattered. He had made his choice.

She was feather-light in his arms. The bedroom was dark and cold, but neither of them felt the chill. Urgent hands stripped away constricting clothing until flesh touched naked flesh. Lips met and explored, teased and tormented, until all distinctions between male and female vanished, and only desire remained. They came together in a fiery burst of need so sudden and all-consuming that Josh thought his soul must have melted into hers. For long minutes after, he simply held her, inhaling the intoxicating fragrance of her body and luxuriating in the silky woman-softness of her skin.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked at last, his voice still ragged with passion.

"No," she lied as she lay quivering in the delicious aftermath of release. What did a few bruises matter when he had just shown her how much he loved her? "You could never hurt me," And that was true. Joshua would never knowingly hurt her. Gently, she stroked his love-dampened shoulders, savoring the possessive way he held her, the way his manhood rested inside her, as if he could not bear to be separated from her.

And then she felt him stirring to life again. "Yes," she whispered, seeking his mouth once more.

But this time Josh was sane. The raw edge of his desire now blunted, he could think rationally, and every rational cell in his brain was screaming in protest. "No," he said, tearing himself from her embrace. "No, this is crazy," he rasped, fighting the delicate hands that clutched at him. "Do you know how dangerous this is for you?"

"I told you, I don't care! I'm not afraid!"

"Well, I am!" he said, rolling to his feet beside the bed and searching frantically for his clothes in the dark. "I'm the one who'll hear your screams, and I'll know I did that to you. I'm the one who'll put your body in a box in the ground, and I'll live for the rest of my life knowing I killed you. I won't do that, damn it, I won't!" he vowed as he furiously jerked on his pants. His hands stilled on the buttons when he heard her crying.

"Don't! Oh, Lissy, don't cry," he begged.

But she couldn't seem to help it. Nothing made sense anymore. She had won Joshua's love, but in doing so, she had lost him, too. Death had stolen both her child and her husband from her. Why had she been spared to suffer such misery? Her body shook, but whether from emotion or from the cold she could not have said. Nothing could comfort her except Joshua's warmth, and when he took her in his arms again, she settled against him gratefully. "It just isn't fair!" she sobbed brokenly. "I love you so much."

"No, it isn't fair," he agreed, tenderly wrapping the bedclothes around her and cradling her against his heart. "But there's nothing we can do about it." After a long time, when she had quieted, he spoke again. His voice was soft but inexorable. "You know what this means, don't you? We can never make love again. You'll have to help me, Lissy. I can't fight you. You saw what happened tonight."

"But Josh…"

"Promise me, Lissy," he demanded.

"But there must be some way!" she insisted. "We'll find a doctor someplace and… Oh, Joshua! My grandfather!"

Josh felt the clammy hand of apprehension stroking up his spine. "What about him?" he asked warily.

"He lives in Philadelphia! They must have wonderful doctors in Philadelphia, even better doctors then they have in Texas!" she exclaimed. Why hadn't she thought of it sooner? It was the solution to everything. "We can go to visit him. I know he's going to invite us, and while we're there… Oh, Joshua, don't you see? This is the best thing that ever happened to us!"

Chapter Ten

"He's found her, Uncle Henry," Richard Winthrop said the instant he crossed the threshold into Henry Maxwell's bedroom.

"Who found whom, boy?" a cross voice inquired from within the shadows of the bed drapes.

Richard fought down his natural irritation at being called "boy." Uncle Henry always called him that, probably because he knew it irritated him. "Asa Gordon has found your granddaughter," he explained patiently, pinning a satisfied smile to his lips, even though he found the news far from satisfying.

"He found her? Are you sure?" A blue-veined hand reached out and drew back one of the bed drapes. "Here, tie this back so I can see you," Maxwell commanded. "Tell me all the details."

"There aren't many details," Richard explained as he struggled with the heavy velvet. "Gordon sent a telegram first thing this morning. It says, 'Have located Felicity Storm. Her father is dead. Please advise.'"

"Dead? Old Caleb is dead, eh? Well, that changes things, doesn't it?"

Richard squinted into the shadows of the bed. How long had it been since he had heard this tone in his uncle's voice?

Why, he almost sounded alive again. For months now, Richard had watched Henry Maxwell gradually deteriorating, day by day, until he had begun to actually believe the old man was dying. Not that Richard cared all that much whether his uncle lived or died, of course, except in how it related to his own personal situation. As long as Henry was alive, Richard was assured of a job in one of Maxwell's enterprises. If he died, Richard would probably inherit a small sum of money, enough to keep him comfortable for the rest of his life.

Unfortunately, Richard didn't want to drudge away his life at some menial job, and his main goal in life was to be far more than comfortable. He wanted to be rich. Until this morning, Henry Maxwell's only known living relatives were his spinster daughter Isabel, who was long past the age when she might have produced an heir, the nebulous Felicity Storm, and Richard himself. Richard had been hoping Asa Gordon would discover that the girl Felicity was dead, or at least permanently lost. That would have forced Henry to rethink the provisions of his will and would have considerably increased Richard's chances of inheriting a larger portion of the estate, since Henry was bound to understand that poor Isabel would do nothing but squander it.

Now, of course, the whole picture had changed again. With Felicity found, and with her an orphan no less, Richard could almost see his fortune evaporating right before his very eyes. Henry would want the girl here with him. Unless she proved to be an imbecile with two heads, she would doubtless worm her way into the old man's affections and charm him into leaving her everything.

"We'll bring her here, of course," Henry was saying. "Tell Gordon to put her on the next train and… No, wait."

Richard winced. His uncle was thinking. When Henry Maxwell thought, empires crumbled. "She might not want to come," he mused. "No telling what lies her father told her about me. Better if we take a different approach. Tell Gordon she is invited to visit me here at my home. An old man wishes her company to brighten his few remaining days. Are you writing this down?" he demanded impatiently.

"Uh, yes, Uncle Henry," Richard said, hastily searching his pockets for a notebook. Few remaining days indeed, he thought bitterly. If Gordon had waited another month to locate the girl, that might well have been true. Now, it seemed, the news of Felicity Storm had brought the old man back to life.

"She would bring me great joy if she would accept my invitation…" Henry dictated. Richard winced again.

Not only did Henry Maxwell invite them for a visit, he sent his own private railroad car for them. Felicity convinced Blanche to accompany them to the railhead at San Antonio so she could see it before they left. Felicity had also convinced Mr. Gordon to remain as their guest at the ranch during the interim, so the four of them shared the uncomfortable stagecoach ride from Prospect to San Antonio.

Although she was excited and full of her own thoughts, Felicity could not help but notice the careful way Asa and Blanche were still treating each other. Even a fool could sense the attraction between them, the almost visible spark that flashed whenever necessity forced them to speak to each other. Felicity had taken every opportunity to throw them together, too, insisting that Blanche stay on at the ranch to help her prepare for the trip while they waited for the special car to arrive.

All her matchmaking efforts had been in vain, though. No matter how loudly Felicity sang Mr. Gordon's praises, no matter that even Joshua had come to like him after being forced to know him, Blanche simply refused to be reconciled to him. For whatever reason, Blanche was determined not to succumb to Mr. Gordon's charms. Or at least, not to let him know that she had.

As the time for their departure drew near-Mr. Gordon was taking the same train back to Philadelphia-Felicity began to lose hope of ever seeing the two of them get together. It simply wasn't right that two people who were so perfect for each other should deny themselves happiness because of a misunderstanding. Unfortunately, Felicity could not seem to grasp the exact nature of that misunderstanding, so she had little expectation of helping them straighten it out.

Her frustration over the matter robbed her of some of her joy over the trip. When she occasionally glimpsed a worried frown on Josh's handsome face, she began to wonder whether she should really go to Philadelphia at all.

She had, in fact, expressed her doubts on the matter to her husband the night before they left the ranch.

"You don't seem too happy about making this trip," she had said to him. "If you don't think we should go…"

"Of course we should go," he had insisted, smiling to reassure her. The smile did not quite erase the wariness in his eyes, but he had explained that, too. "And I'm perfectly happy about making the trip. It's just that I'm a little worried about being away from the ranch. Not that there's anything to worry about," he had added hastily. "But I've never been away from the Rocking L for very long. Grady says I'm acting like an old maid about it. Maybe he's right."

"He is right," Felicity confirmed, showing him her dimple. "Grady can run this place with one hand tied behind him. And we're going to have such fun in Philadelphia. You'll see."

She watched his face grow somber, and he took her hand gently in both of his. "I'm not going to Philadelphia to have fun, Lissy. I'm going so you can meet your grandfather. I know what it's like not to have any family, and I don't want that for you, not when you have a family who wants to know you."

Felicity felt the prickle of tears as she savored the fierce determination in his gray eyes. He might not be happy about the trip, but he was genuinely glad for her, glad she had this opportunity. He understood how anxious she was to see her grandfather and how important it was for her to get to him before it was too late.

"Thank you, Joshua," she whispered, making him smile for real.

"Don't thank me yet. Wait and see how I do in Philadelphia. I might ruin your whole trip," he teased.

But she had been certain he wouldn't, and now that their journey had begun, she knew she was right. All the way from Prospect to San Antonio he had exerted himself to keep the conversation going and make sure of the women's comfort. Several times she had been hard-pressed not to throw her arms around him in pure gratitude when he skillfully covered an awkward moment between Blanche and Asa.

At first she had assumed he was simply making a noble sacrifice for her sake, but she soon realized that pleasing her brought him genuine pleasure in return. She had never imagined that the love she felt for Joshua could grow more intense, but so it did, with every passing mile. By the time they reached the train depot in San Antonio, she positively adored him.

Henry Maxwell's private car was everything Felicity had imagined and more. A smiling black man in a trim navy-blue uniform greeted them as they approached the siding where it was sitting. "Hello, Mr. Gordon. It's good to see you again, sir," he called. "And this must be Miss Storm."

"That's right, Simon, only her name is Mrs. Logan now, and this is her husband, Joshua Logan, and her friend, Mrs. Delano. Folks, this is Simon Duvalier. He will be looking after you on your trip," Asa explained.

"Pleased to meet you," Simon said, doffing his cap to reveal dark, curly hair liberally streaked with gray. "Mr. Gordon's right. I work for Mr. Maxwell, taking care of his private car, and anything you need, you just ask me. Come on inside. I've got some refreshments waiting for you."

Felicity had never dreamed that anyone would fix a railroad car up fancier than any house she had ever been in. They entered to discover a parlor paneled in lustrous mahogany and furnished with fashionable pieces upholstered in red velvet and made of the same wood as the walls. On a small, low table in front of the settee, Simon had laid a spread fit for a king. High tea, he called it, served in an ornate silver pot which rested among a lavish display of matching silver accessories, some of which Felicity could not even identify. Accompanying the tea was a tray full of freshly baked pastries that proved to be as delicious as they were beautiful. Another black man who identified himself as Simon's son William appeared and began to load their luggage onto the car.

"Simon, have you worked for my grandfather very long?" Felicity asked when she had sampled one of the flaky pastries and complimented him on it.

"Yes, ma'am, I've worked for Mr. Maxwell more than thirty years. He liked me so much that about ten years ago he put me in charge of this car," Simon explained, grinning even more broadly than before.

"Have you seen him lately? Do you know how he's feeling?" Felicity asked, eager to get an updated report on her grandfather's condition.

"Oh yes, ma'am, I saw him just before I left. He called me out to the house to tell me I'd better treat you extra special. He's been mighty poorly the last few months. I heard he'd taken to his bed, but when I saw him, he looked real fine. I think just knowing that you're coming to see him perked him right up." Simon's smile reassured her even more than his words, and for the first time Felicity began to believe she might actually have time to get to know her grandfather instead of arriving just in time for his funeral.

"Can I take this bag for you, sir?" William asked Joshua, indicating the small carpetbag Josh had carried in with him.

"Oh no!" Felicity objected before Josh could respond.

"Felicity," Blanche chastened. "He's not going to hurt it! He just wants to put it back in the bedroom; isn't that right, William?"

"Yes, ma'am," William confirmed, a little confused. His dark gaze darted from Blanche to Josh and back to Felicity.

"I'm sorry, William," Felicity apologized sheepishly. "It's just… there's a special present for my grandfather in there. I don't want anything to happen to it." Indeed, she had made Joshua carry the bag all the way from the ranch, not trusting it to the luggage boot of the stage.

"I'll be extra careful, Mrs. Logan," William promised with an understanding grin. He lifted the bag with such exaggerated care that he made Felicity smile.

"Nothing's going to happen to those pictures," Josh assured her indulgently. "The way you have them packed, they'd have to get caught under a stampede to even get bent!"

"I know," Felicity admitted, feeling more foolish by the minute. But she could not seem to help feeling protective. She had used the days they had spent waiting for the car to arrive to make prints of all her favorite photographs. Blanche had decorated a cigar box for her by gluing hundreds of tiny scraps of material to it in a beautiful mosaic pattern. The photographs now rested in that box, surrounded by wads of packing to ensure a safe arrival in Philadelphia. It was to be her way of sharing the first nineteen years of her life with her grandfather. The only one of her pictures she had not included was the one of tiny little Caleb Joshua lying in his cradle. That memory was too private and still to agonizing to share just yet.

"Excuse me, folks, but they're coming to hook us up to the rest of the train," Simon reported.

"Well then, I guess I'd better be going," Blanche said, rising from her chair. She was planning to spend a few days in town and had already checked into the hotel.

"May I walk you to the hotel, Mrs. Delano?" Asa asked, rising also.

"Well, I…" Blanche stammered, feeling absurdly flustered at the prospect. "Won't you miss your train?"

"It won't leave for a while yet," Asa replied confidently.

Felicity watched the silent struggle Blanche was enduring between her pride and her desire. "You really shouldn't be walking the street alone in this part of town, Blanche," Felicity ventured, hoping to tip the scales a bit in Mr. Gordon's favor. Maybe it wasn't too late, after all.

"Yes, of course," Blanche agreed brusquely. "I would appreciate your company, Mr. Gordon."

When she had made her farewells to Josh and Felicity, she allowed Asa to help her down the wrought-iron steps of the railroad car and onto the wooden sidewalk that ran beside the station. They walked a few steps. "It looks like they'll be traveling in style," Blanche remarked to fill the awkward silence that threatened, a silence she was afraid he would fill with something she did not want to hear.

"Henry Maxwell is a man of style," Asa replied.

That reminded Blanche of one of her most serious concerns. "What kind of a man is he?" she asked, not bothering to keep the concern from her voice.

Asa stopped, forcing Blanche to stop, too, and for a moment they just stood there looking at each other, oblivious to the people rushing past them on their way to this train or that. "He's the kind of a man who could carve out a place for himself in the world and make a fortune before he was thirty-five. And he's the kind of a man who could disown his own daughter, so I guess that makes him the kind of man you don't want Felicity exposed to. Is that right?"

Blanche nodded, her lips tight with suppressed anger. It was just as she had feared. Just as she knew Joshua feared, too, although they had never spoken of it. Asa Gordon was delivering her sweet friend up to a monster. "How can you do this to her?"

"She deserves to know him," Asa insisted. "He is her grandfather, after all. And don't underestimate her. She has his blood. She may be stronger than you think. She may even be stronger than he is."

"And what if she isn't?" Blanche challenged.

"Then she has Josh," he replied.

There seemed no argument for that, so Blanche resumed her journey to the hotel, no longer even caring if Asa Gordon accompanied her or not. She had been right. The man was a stubborn, overbearing, arrogant…

"I owe you an apology," he said at her elbow.

She almost missed a step but managed to otherwise control her surprise. "Do you?" she asked with apparent unconcern.

"You know I do," he continued, undaunted, increasing his pace to keep up with her.

Blanche could see the hotel just across the street. She hurried toward it, darting around a wagon and narrowly missing a collision with a buggy in her haste. She had to get away. She did not want to hear what he had to say, not when she was already having a hard enough time maintaining her dislike of him.

"Blanche, wait," he said, grabbing her arm and halting her on the steps up to the hotel sidewalk.

He swung her around to face him, and for a long moment, she simply stared into his eyes. For the first time in days she looked directly at him and really saw the torment he was enduring, a torment every bit as agonizing as her own. The thought that he had suffered, too, undid her. She could feel her body sag with surrender as the last of her resistance drained away. "All right," she sighed.

"Let's sit over there," Asa suggested, motioning toward some rocking chairs on the hotel porch.

Blanche nodded and, easing out of his grasp, made her way over to them. When they were both seated, he said, "I'd like to apologize."

"For what?" she asked haughtily, unwilling to make this any easier for him.

"For lying to you. For using you. And for whatever else it is that you'll never be able to forgive me."

Blanche was hard-pressed not to gape. He knew! He really understood why she was so furious at him. And from the expression on his face, the knowledge disturbed him greatly. He was too proud a man to be humbling himself like this otherwise. But if he knew… "Why did you wait so long to ask my forgiveness?" she demanded, thinking of all the days she'd wasted nursing her anger toward him when they might have been getting to know each other better.

He smiled sadly. "Because I wanted you to know I really meant it. If I'd done this last week, you wouldn't have believed me. You would have thought…" He paused, uncertain how much to tell her.

"What would I have thought?" she prodded.

"You would have thought I was only trying to get on your, good side so I could get in your bed," he admitted at last.

Blanche blinked in surprise at his frankness. "And would I have been right?" she asked, experiencing a flutter of excitement.

"Yes," he said.

The flutter became a surge. Emotions she had thought dead and buried with her husband flickered to life. A startled "Oh." escaped her lips, and a delicate blush heated her cheeks. When had she ever felt like this, so flustered yet so elated? Never, she knew, because until now she had never known Asa Gordon. It was as if she had spent her whole life preparing for him, and now he was here.

Except now he was leaving!

Asa rose reluctantly, knowing he had said everything necessary and a lot more than he had intended. The memory of Blanche Delano would haunt his dreams as long as he lived, but at least now he would know she did not hate him. That was the best he could hope for. As a lifelong student of human nature, he had understood the instant he had learned Blanche was Felicity's friend that Blanche would never be able to forgive him his deceit. The one thing a person like Blanche could not tolerate was being used, being made a fool of. He had committed the sin in ignorance, but that would not excuse him. "I'd better be going. Don't want to miss my train."

"But…" she started to object, then stopped. For a moment she could make no sense of this. He had just told her that he… that he wanted her. Not loved, only wanted, and not even wanted enough to use his apology to get her. He had apparently sensed the enormous attraction she felt for him, but had not felt it quite so strongly himself. He was leaving her with regret, but he was still leaving. "No, you don't want to miss your train," she said, rising also and gathering the remnants of her pride around her. If he did not want to stay, she would not beg. No man-not even Asa Gordon-was worth that.

"Have a good trip," she said with false heartiness, "and take care of my girl."

Asa did not return her forced smile. "I'll let her know that she can call on me if she ever needs anything," he promised. "Goodby, Blanche."

"Goodby, Asa," she said, her smile fading as the dull ache in her chest became a sharp pain. She stood on the porch, watching until he was out of sight. He never looked back.

"I'm out," Asa said, throwing in his poker hand.

"Me, too," Josh sighed, tossing his cards aside also.

"You can't be out!" Felicity exclaimed. "I have two aces!" She slapped her cards down on the table indignantly. "I would have won this time!"

Josh and Asa exchanged a glance. "We know," Josh told her, barely suppressing a grin.

"How could you know?" she demanded in outrage. "Did you look at my cards, Joshua Logan?"

"We didn't have to," Josh explained, no longer suppressing his grin. "All we had to do was look at your face."

"My face?" Felicity lifted both hands to her cheeks, wondering if her cards might somehow have been reflected by her skin.

Asa had started chuckling. "All we have to do is look at your face, and we know from your expression whether your cards are good or bad, Mrs. Logan."

"Why didn't you tell me? No wonder I haven't won a single big pot!" she complained in dismay. Josh and Asa had decided the first night on the train that Felicity needed to learn to play poker. They had been playing two-handed, but the possibilities for a good hand were too sum with only two players.

Felicity resisted at first, having been taught all her life that cards were sinful, and gambling absolutely blasphemous. But since she was bored with nothing to do except admire the furnishings in the exquisite railroad car, and since they were only playing for matchsticks, she had finally agreed. The game was easy to learn, but Felicity was rapidly discovering that mastering the rudiments was only the beginning.

"You two are nothing but a couple of… of…" she blustered.

"Cardsharps?" Josh supplied cheerfully.

"No, worse than that," Felicity informed him with a comic pout that made him laugh. "Stop making fun of me and deal the cards."

In spite of her pique, Felicity could not help the rush of tender feelings she experienced as she covertly examined her husband. Watching his strong hands shuffling the deck, Felicity shivered slightly, remembering how those fingers felt stroking along her sensitive flesh. She had thought that the passing of time would make Josh's edict easier to bear, but time only increased her longing for him. How could she live with him for the rest of her life and never again know his touch? And how could she bear never being able to give the man she loved a living child? When she remembered their tragic loss, her baby, so tiny and helpless in death…

"Mr. Gordon, do they have good doctors in Philadelphia?" she asked suddenly.

Asa's broad face puckered into a puzzled frown for a moment and then cleared. "Oh, you're worried about the care your grandfather's getting," he surmised. Felicity nodded, grateful she did not have to explain her real reason for asking. "Yes, in fact, Philadelphia is a renowned medical center. Jefferson Medical College is located there. It's one of the best in the world. And then there's the College of Physicians. That's a group of doctors who investigate the causes of disease. You don't have to worry. Your grandfather is getting the best medical care from the best doctors in the world."

Felicity knew a moment of profound relief. Perhaps there really was hope, just as she had assured Joshua before they left. She flashed her husband a smile that reflected that hope just before she reached for the cards he had dealt her.

Josh looked quickly away, only barely able to contain the urge to kiss her sweet expression. She was still hoping, still determined to find a solution to their problem. As much as he hated to see that hope die, he looked forward to the day when she accepted their future for what it would be. Then maybe she would stop flirting with him, stop trying to arouse him. He didn't even let himself consider the possibility that she wasn't trying.

Thank God Asa Gordon was along on this trip. Without him, they would have been alone every minute of every day, except for Simon Duvalier's discreet service. Alone with Felicity in this sumptuous railroad car with food the likes of which Josh had never seen and nothing to do but eat and sleep and look at each other, Josh might have gone completely out of his mind. At least the car had two bedrooms. What Simon thought about the fact that Josh and his wife did not sleep together, heaven only knew. That wasn't Josh's problem. He would just be grateful for Asa Gordon's company.

Felicity examined her cards and made an elaborately despairing face. "I hope you gentlemen have figured out that I don't have anything in this hand," she said, and tossed down her cards. "I'm out, and since it's awfully late, I think I'll retire."

"It is late," Asa agreed, pulling a large pocket watch from his vest pocket to check the time. "I'd better be getting back to my berth."

"Stay for another hand, Asa," Josh insisted. "With Felicity gone, we can break out some of Maxwell's liquor."

Felicity made a noise to indicate she was scandalized and rose from the table. "Don't get up," she told them with a smile. "And don't get too drunk. I imagine the swaying of this train would be awful if you had a hangover. Good night, Mr. Gordon. Good night, Mr. Logan."

Asa watched her kiss Josh chastely on the cheek, but there was nothing chaste about the look that passed between them or the way Josh's gray eyes smoldered as he watched her walk away. "Hey, Josh, you don't have to sit up with me if you'd rather go on to bed," Asa said when Felicity was gone.

Josh's attention wandered back to Asa. "What? Oh, no, I…" He hesitated, uncertain how to explain the unexplainable. Obviously, Asa had sensed that Josh would far rather be following. Felicity to her bed than continuing to play cards. "It's… it's still too soon after the baby," he said at last, deciding that was the best ploy. "You'll do me a favor if you stay and help keep my mind off it, too."

Asa considered this a moment. "AU right, but first, where's that drink you promised me?" he said at last, having finally figured out why these two young, healthy lovers had invited him to join them for their meals and had insisted that he spend every evening and most of every day with them. They needed a chaperone. He tried not to smile at the thought. Asa Gordon was the last person in the world anyone should choose as a chaperone.

Candace shivered slightly as she entered the cold emptiness of her cabin. With Josh and Felicity gone, the whole ranch seemed strangely deserted, even though a dozen people still lived and worked on it. To her, however, Josh and Felicity represented the life of the ranch. Until their return, the place and the people on it would only be existing.

Smiling grimly at the thought, she made her way slowly in the darkness toward the table where the lamp and matches sat. She had just reached out, expecting to touch the edge of that table, when she heard a slight rustle behind her. Before she could turn or even identify the sound, something clamped around her neck in a vicelike grip, choking off her wind and stunning her into nerveless immobility.

"Where is he?" a vaguely familiar voice demanded beside her ear. Something hard and cold pressed against her left temple, and the ominous click of a.45 being cocked reverberated in her head.

"Who?" she rasped, buying time until she could gather her wits. She did not need time to identify her captor. Instinct told her his name.

"You know who, old woman," Jeremiah snarled. "Logan! Where is he?"

Candace made a strangled sound, all she could manage against the pressure of his arm on her throat. He eased the pressure slightly, just enough so she could breathe and speak. "He's gone," she gasped. "They went to Philadelphia."

"Philadelphia!" he echoed contemptuously. Obviously, he thought she had spoken the most outlandish lie she could dream up.

But Candace nodded frantically. "Yes, Mrs. Logan's grandfather lives there. He's dying and they went to visit him." Relief surged through her as she realized how far Joshua and Felicity were from the danger her son represented. If only she could keep him away from them forever. "What do you want?" she asked tentatively in an attempt to judge his motives for returning.

"I want Logan, but it looks like I'm not going to get him this trip," Jeremiah said, releasing Candace in one quick thrust that sent her staggering into the table. "Light the lamp," he ordered.

Taking a deep breath and attempting to get hold of her reeling emotions, Candace found the matches and did as he commanded. She had to remain calm if she hoped to salvage this situation and find out just what Jeremiah's intentions were.

When the lamp was lit, she turned slowly to face him. What she saw startled her so much that for an instant she was unable to hide her shock. Her son had lost a good twenty pounds since she had last seen him, weight he could not easily spare. His clothes hung on his wasted frame, and only his dark, burning eyes revealed any sign of vitality in his gaunt face.

But it was his right arm that drew her gaze. It hung at an awkward angle by his side, twisted and shriveled. That it was still strong, she knew from the way her neck throbbed, but the fact that he held his gun in his left hand now told her all she needed to know about its usefulness to him. "Your arm…" she began, letting her voice trail off when she could think of nothing appropriate to say.

"Yeah, my arm," he echoed sarcastically, waving his pistol at her in a threatening motion. "Logan fixed me up good."

"But Joshua didn't… He said you got caught in the stampede."

"Oh, that's how it got broken, all right, but it was Logan who set it for me," Jeremiah told her venomously. "He said I'd never use a gun again. I guess he took care to make sure that was true."

"Oh, no!" Candace protested, tears springing to her eyes. "Josh would never-"

"Don't defend him!" Jeremiah shouted, waving the gun at her again. "I should have known you'd take his part against me, even with the evidence right here in front of you," he charged, shoving his withered arm into her face.

Strangely, his fury was making her feel calmer. She took another deep breath and asked, "What are you going to do now?"

The question seemed to confuse him, and Candace realized he had made no other plans past wreaking his vengeance on Josh Logan.

"I… I'm going back to Mexico," he said quickly, as if he had only just made the decision. "I spent the past few months there learning how to use a gun with my left hand. Ortega will be glad to get me back, bad arm or not. He's a mean little devil, and he hates Logan almost as much as I do now that Logan put a slug in him. The little Mexican got blood poisoning from that wound and nearly died. Yeah," he mused thoughtfully, "me and Ortega will make a good team." Jeremiah pondered that possibility for a moment and then said, "How long is Logan going to be gone?"

"A long time," Candace hastily improvised. "Maybe the whole summer."

"The whole summer?" Jeremiah repeated skeptically. "I thought you said her grandfather was dying. If he's going to last the whole summer, why'd they rush off to visit him now?"

"I didn't say he was dying," Candace corrected quickly. "Only that he's sick. They plan on staying until he gets better."

"You're a rotten liar, old woman," Jeremiah growled. "But however long it takes, I can wait. I been looking forward to this for a long time, especially since I got a look at Mrs. Logan." He grinned at Candace's horrified gasp. "Yeah, I saw her once through the field glasses. She's a tiny little thing. I bet she wouldn't last any time at all with a real man."

"No! You wouldn't!" Candace cried.

"Why wouldn't I?" he asked with a taunting grin. "Everybody knows how colored men love to get their hands on white women. Can't you just see Logan's face when he finds out what I did to his precious wife?"

"No!" Candace shrieked, throwing herself at him, heedless of his gun. "Not Felicity! She's innocent! She never did a thing to you!"

"I was innocent, too, but I still had to suffer, didn't I?" he demanded, effortlessly shoving her away.

"Josh will kill you!" Candace tried in desperation, but her ploy backfired.

Jeremiah's face twisted in rage. "He'll kill me? Is that what you think? Or are you just afraid that I'll kill him? That's it, isn't it? You know your precious rich boy is no match for Jeremiah Logan, and you're afraid I'll cut him down like so much rotten wood. Well, I'll tell you something, old woman," he said, grabbing her around the neck again and pulling her close until her face was almost touching his, until she could smell the liquored stench of his breath and see the crazed gleam in his eyes. "I'm gonna kill me a Logan if it's the last thing I do, and you can tell him that. When he comes back, I'll be waiting."

This time when he let her go, she slumped to the floor, her quaking knees no longer able to support her. Jeremiah slipped silently away into the shadows, his final threat echoing in the now silent room.

Felicity glanced once more around the luxurious bedroom she had occupied during the long trip from Dallas to Philadelphia, checking to see if she might have forgotten to pack anything. Familiarity had made the room seem almost normal to her now, although she doubted she would ever quite get used to the naked cupids molded into the ornate plaster ceiling.

What she would miss most, she supposed, was the convenience of hot running water in the basin almost at her bedside and the cleverly designed chair that made fumbling in the dark for a chamber pot unnecessary. How she would have loved having such a device for her use during the long months of her pregnancy. But there was always next time, she thought with a smile. And there would be a next time, now that she was in Philadelphia and could find a doctor to help her. There simply had to be.

"Are you all packed?" Josh asked from the open doorway. "We're pulling into the station."

Felicity lifted her gaze to his, taking in the lines of strain around his mouth and eyes, lines that had not been there before the death of their child. "Yes, I'm packed," she said, forcing a smile.

He returned that smile, but his gray eyes remained grave. The closer they had gotten to Philadelphia, the more solemn he had become. She knew he was worried that this meeting with her grandfather might prove a disappointment after all her expectations. As if he could somehow protect her from such a possibility, he had grown even more solicitous of late. She longed to reassure him that, whatever happened, she was strong enough to endure it.

Impulsively, she closed the small space that separated them and slipped her arms around his waist. She could have wept at the desperate way his arms enfolded her, as if he wished to shield her from some evil.

They held each other for a long moment, and then she drew back so she could look up at him. "This is going to be the best thing that ever happened to us, Mr. Logan," she promised fiercely.

Josh looked down into Felicity's lovely face, inhaled the subtle fragrance of her hair, and slowly released her from his embrace, struggling to maintain his tenuous self-control. Ever since he had seen her this morning, dressed in her wedding dress for this first meeting with her grandfather, he had been fighting the almost overwhelming urge to once again taste the sweetness of her mouth, to know all the delights of her beautiful body. To once again claim Felicity for his own.

It was only the dress, he told himself, and the memories it conjured for him of their wedding night. She was only wearing this particular dress because it was the prettiest one she owned, and she wanted to look her best for this all-important meeting. Why then could he not shake the feeling that she was symbolically giving herself to her grandfather the same way she had given herself to Josh in marriage?

"Are you folks about ready? We're almost there," Asa Gordon's voice inquired from the hallway.

As if caught doing something immoral, Josh stepped guiltily away from her, out into the hall of the railroad car.

"Oh, excuse me," Asa said, pausing in mid-stride when he saw that he had interrupted. He was carrying his own carpetbag, retrieved from his seat in the forward part of the train, where his sleeping berth had been.

"Yes, we're ready," Josh said flatly, ignoring Asa's apology. "I'll get Felicity's bags."

"There's no hurry," Asa assured him, puzzled by his friend's grim expression. "Let's go back to the parlor and watch the approach to the city."

Wordlessly, they did so. Felicity was the only one truly interested in seeing the countryside gradually give way to metropolis. In the course of her journey, she had viewed this process many times, but never had it seemed so important. This was Philadelphia, her destination, her mother's home. And she was going to see her grandfather.

At last the train snaked into the cavernous station.

"Will someone be meeting us?" Felicity asked anxiously, scanning the crowd waiting for the train to unload.

"Probably not," Asa said. "I'll tell you what. I'll go find us a cab to take us to your grandfather's house. It isn't far from the station. Meanwhile, you two just wait here and relax until the crowd has thinned out some."

Waiting and relaxing hardly suited Felicity's mood, which was growing more restless by the moment, but she agreed anyway. When the train ground to a stop, Asa left the car and disappeared into the crowd. Felicity watched through the window, examining every face of every person she could see. She knew she was being foolish, that her grandfather was too ill to have come to the station to meet her, but still she looked.

Uneasy over her eager anticipation, Josh rose, too. "I'll go get our luggage," he said.

"Simon and William will take care of it," Felicity protested, not wanting him to leave her at this exciting moment.

"I'll make sure they get it all, then," Josh insisted tensely. Before she could protest again, he had left the room.

Sighing with disappointment that Joshua could not share her joy, Felicity once again looked out the window. But that was far too tame a pastime for her present state of mind. Her restlessness demanded action, so without even taking time to consider, she opened the door to the car and stepped out onto the small rear platform.

The noise seemed to envelop her. The hissing of steam, the chugging of engines, the clanging of bells, the cacophony of hundreds of voices raised in greeting combined into a roar that seemed to fill the huge dome of the station. In fascination, she watched a score of dramas being carried out as eager friends and relatives met and mingled and made their way out of the crowd.

Richard Winthrop elbowed his way impatiently through the mass of humanity gathered beside the train. Yes, there it was, the Maxwell railroad car. He could just barely make out the gold crest on the side. With irritation, he struggled past a group of shabbily dressed people babbling in some foreign language and at last broke free of the mob.

He could see the car clearly now, and what he saw standing on the rear platform made his breath catch in his throat. Could it be? Could that be his cousin Felicity? He slowed his rapid pace so he would have a few extra seconds to study her before she saw him.

The dress, he quickly judged, was unfortunate, and the hat. was a disaster, but the girl herself was magnificent. Her hair gleamed like spun gold and her complexion was the proverbial peaches and cream. Her face was exquisite, revealing the aristocratic Maxwell bone structure, and her trim little figure was every man's dream. With the proper clothes, in the proper setting… An idea that he had been toying with for the past few days suddenly took on a life of its own. He would marry her!

It was so simple, he wondered that he had never thought of it before. Henry Maxwell had only three heirs. If two of them were married to each other, and one of those two was his beloved granddaughter and the other, his trusted nephew whom he had been training in his business, well then, of course he would leave the bulk of his fortune to them.

Straightening his coat, Richard approached the platform where she stood. He smiled his most charming smile. "Felicity?"

Felicity glanced down, a little startled to hear her name from a complete stranger. "Yes?" she said uncertainly. The man was smiling at her, and he had such a beautiful smile she could not seem to take her eyes from it. He was, in fact, a beautiful man, impeccably groomed and clothed in such perfect elegance that he stood out from the station crowd as almost an oddity. Although he was shorter than average and small-boned, he carried himself with a grace and poise that stopped just short of being feminine.

"I'm Richard Winthrop," he said. When his name drew no response from her, he added, "I'm your cousin. Your grandfather sent me to meet you."

"My cousin!" she exclaimed in glad surprise, not quite able to believe that such an exquisite creature could be her blood relative. "I… oh… how do you do? I'm so happy to meet you!" she stammered, awkwardly gathering her skirts so she could negotiate the narrow wrought-iron steps down to where he stood. Like a true gentleman, he rushed to assist her, taking her arm in the gentlest of grips.

"My cousin!" she repeated happily, frantically searching her memory for what Mr. Gordon had told her about her family and trying to place Richard Winthrop in that group. "Are you my Aunt Isabel's son?"

"No," he said. The warmth in his brown eyes could have melted candle wax. "Your aunt is a maiden lady. My mother was your grandfather's youngest sister, younger by almost a generation, which explains the proximity of our ages."

Felicity wasn't sure just what "proximity" was, but she knew a gentleman like Richard Winthrop would never insult her. "That means that my grandfather is your…?"

"Uncle," he supplied cheerfully.

Felicity studied the perfection of his carefully combed and oiled black hair, wondering idly how much time it took him to perfect such an intricate style. "And that makes us… what? First cousins? Second cousins?"

Richard admired the endearing way her lovely brow wrinkled in concentration. "First cousins, once removed," he explained softly, taking one of her delicate hands in his. First cousins really shouldn't marry, but anything could be gotten around if one was determined enough. Surrendering to an impulse, he moved closer to her and whispered, "Kissing cousins…"

"Felicity!"

Josh's voice startled them apart, and for an instant Felicity wondered if Richard really had been about to kiss her or if she had only imagined it. Not that she would have minded. He was her cousin, after all. Surely such things were perfectly proper between close relations. "Mr. Logan, come and meet my cousin!" she called, eager for her husband to see her delightful new relative.

Josh bounded down the steps of the rear platform of the car and strode up to them, his expression tautly angry. He had seen the way this dude had been leering at Felicity, and he was far from pleased.

"Mr. Logan, this is my cousin, my first cousin, once removed," Felicity clarified with a smile, "Richard Winthrop. Richard, this is my husband, Joshua Logan."

Richard Winthrop stared at the silver-haired giant in horror. "Husband? Gordon didn't say anything about a husband!"

"I didn't?" Asa Gordon inquired innocently from over Richard's left shoulder.

"No, you didn't!" Richard affirmed furiously, whirling on him.

Asa shook his head with apparent regret. "I'm awful sorry about that. I must be getting forgetful in my old age," he said apologetically, leaving Richard no option but to fume in silence.

And fume he did. All his golden plans for this golden girl evaporated in the heat of his anger. She was married! And to a man old enough to be her father! A man she called "Mr. Logan," for God's sake. Richard turned back to face his nemesis, struggling to regain his composure. "Well, uh, you'll… you'll have to excuse me. I mean, this is a shock… I mean, a surprise. I… I'm pleased to meet you, Logan," he said, offering his hand and managing a strained smile.

Logan's hand swallowed his with humiliating thoroughness in a grip that made him wince. Richard glared up at the taller man, noting his sun-browned face and the coarse texture of his palm. Nothing more than a common laborer,

Richard judged, although he could see now that Logan wasn't as old as he had originally suspected.

Logan studied Richard Winthrop, noting the prissy clothes and the sissy mannerisms. The man's face was snow-white and his hand was as soft as a baby's. Winthrop had never done an honest day's work in his life. "Pleased to meet you, too," Josh lied grimly, releasing Winthrop's hand at last.

Felicity watched the exchange helplessly, knowing she should do something to ease the obvious strain, but having no idea how to go about it since she had no idea what had caused it. She had expected Joshua to be cautiously reserved with her relatives, at least until he got to know them, but she had never expected such open animosity. Nor had she expected it to be returned in kind, she realized, glancing at Richard's taut features. "Did you find us a cab, Mr. Gordon?" she asked, hoping to break the tension.

"Yes, I did, but you may not need one now," Asa replied with a grin. He was hugely enjoying the spectacle of Richard Winthrop nonplussed. Asa had purposely not revealed Felicity's marriage, hoping that would give her one secret advantage over whatever plots and plans her grandfather might have in mind for her. Witnessing Richard's reaction to the news was simply an added bonus Asa had not counted on.

"That's right," Richard confirmed testily. "I've brought Uncle Henry's personal carriage. Simon and William will carry your luggage out. Can we drop you someplace, Gordon?" he asked condescendingly.

"No, thank you," Asa said, his smile wavering just a bit when he realized that he no longer had even a room in Philadelphia to call his own. Oddly enough, he had forgotten until this moment that he had left the city a year ago intending never to return. Texas was to have been his new home. Now, of course, there was only one place in Texas where he wanted to be, but he had ruined any chance he might have had of ever settling there. "I have to stop by my office and make a full report, and I'm afraid it's in the opposite direction. So I guess this is goodby, folks," he added, turning to Josh and Felicity.

"Oh, not goodby," Felicity protested, taking his hand. "You'll come and visit us while we're here, won't you?"

"Well, uh," Asa hesitated, glancing at Winthrop. Disapproval practically shone from his handsome face. "I'll certainly try," Asa promised, knowing how socially unacceptable such a thing would be to Winthrop, but also unwilling to hurt Felicity's feelings.

"Please do, and you know you're always welcome to visit us in Texas anytime," she added warmly. "Thank you for everything, Mr. Gordon." She squeezed his hand before releasing it.

Asa experienced an odd choking sensation in the instant before he turned from her to Josh. She was such a sweet girl. What a pity to turn her over to a shark like Winthrop. And Maxwell. "Josh, I've enjoyed our poker games," he said with false heartiness to cover his own regrets over leaving these two people of whom he had grown very fond.

Felicity listened with only half an ear as Josh reiterated her invitation to visit them and said his goodbyes to Asa Gordon. She was too busy trying to make sense of Richard's obvious disapproval both of Asa Gordon and of her husband. Why should he be so distressed to discover she was married? And why hadn't Mr. Gordon mentioned the fact to her family? She had the very uneasy feeling that she was being used as some sort of pawn in a game she did not understand.

Richard quickly regained his composure, determined to put a good front on things. The girl might yet alienate her grandfather. Perhaps her marriage would do the trick. But if not, he wanted to be on the girl's good side. With an expertise born of experience, Richard got the luggage loaded and his charges ensconced in the carriage in short order.

"I think you'll find the ride very pleasant," Richard said as the carriage moved away from the train station. "Broad Street is known for its lovely homes."

And rightly so, Felicity realized as she watched mansion after mansion pass by her window. "Mr. Gordon said that my grandfather lives nearby," she ventured, wondering what type of home she would discover him occupying.

"Yes, he does," Richard confirmed proudly. "He lives on Rittenhouse Square, which is considered to be the heart of the most fashionable section of town."

"Oh, my," Felicity murmured, hazarding a glance at Joshua's face. He did not seem pleased by this information, but what had he expected? They knew her grandfather was a wealthy man, and after seeing his railroad car, they could logically anticipate that he lived in a mansion. Before she could point this out, however, Richard spoke.

"And what exactly is your occupation, Joshua?" he asked, assuming his role as charming host.

Josh studied the too friendly smile a moment before answering. Obviously, Winthrop was prepared to be politely, if insincerely, enthusiastic about whatever Josh named as his profession.

"I'm a rancher," he said.

"A cattle rancher?" Richard asked with an empty smile. At Josh's nod, he inquired, "And how many cows do you… uh, keep?"

Josh easily read his contempt. Obviously, Winthrop pictured Josh with a milk pail and a dozen heifers. "Oh, it depends on the time of year. In the spring we have more, of course, and in the fall we sell some off," he explained with elaborate casualness. "Most times we run between fifteen and twenty… thousand."

"Thousand!" Richard gasped.

Josh nodded again, biting back a satisfied smile. "It keeps us busy," he said almost apologetically, and pretended a renewed interest in the passing scenery. He purposely did not look at Felicity. He did not want to see her awe at the beautiful homes they were passing. Was she already growing discontent with the log and adobe house back at the Rocking L Ranch?

Although she was certainly in awe, Felicity was not a bit discontent. All she could think about as she looked at these houses was how cold and impersonal they seemed. Then the carriage came to a halt in front of the coldest of them all, an imposing structure of Italianate styling.

"Here we are," Richard announced.

"This is where my grandfather lives?" Felicity asked in disbelief. "It looks like a… like a bank!" she exclaimed, reexamining the classical facade for some hint the building might really be someone's home.

Joshua made a funny noise that might have been a smothered laugh, and Richard glared at him for just a second before assuming his patient charm once again. "Yes, it is rather impressive, isn't it?" he remarked as he climbed down and reached to help Felicity alight from the carriage.

Felicity tried not to gape, but the task became more difficult with every passing second. When the massive front door opened to reveal an entryway three stones high and paved with pink marble, she felt as if she had stepped into a fairyland.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Winthrop," a tall, dignified man in livery said as they entered.

"Good afternoon, Bellwood," Richard responded coolly. "This is Mr. Maxwell's granddaughter and her husband, Mr. Logan. We are expected, I believe."

"Yes, sir. Miss Maxwell will receive you in the drawing room," Bellwood informed them. "May I take your coats?" When he had, he said, "Follow me, please."

To Felicity's wide-eyed amazement, this elegant man- who had hardly even glanced at her or Joshua, although surely he was curious about them-turned smartly on his heel and conducted them to a pair of sliding doors midway down the long entrance hall. He slid them open with a flourish.

"Mr. Richard Winthrop, Mr. and Mrs. Logan," he announced in stentorian tones, and then stepped back to allow them to enter.

Richard led the way, approaching a small woman in pink who rose from a gilt sofa to greet them. Felicity and Josh stopped just inside the door. Felicity put a hand on her stomach to still a flutter of excitement as she prepared to meet her Aunt Isabel.

"Richard?" a feeble voice inquired tentatively.

"Cousin Isabel, may I present your niece, Felicity, and her husband, Joshua Logan?" Richard said. He placed an arm around the lady's waist and escorted her toward where Josh and Felicity stood.

Felicity watched them approach. Aunt Isabel was absolutely tiny, standing several inches shorter than her own five feet. Her aunt was wearing a frilly pink gown which had obviously been designed with an ingenue in mind, and she had her graying hair tied back with an absurd pink bow.

But the face that stared up at hers was smooth and unlined, as if no worries had ever troubled it, and the eyes were as blue as her own. "Aunt Isabel, I'm so happy to meet you," Felicity said, smiling with genuine delight.

But Aunt Isabel did not return the smile. Instead, she simply stared at Felicity for an uncomfortably long time. At last one frail, parchment-white hand rose to rest on the pink bosom. "Claire," Isabel breathed tragically, and promptly fainted.

Oddly, she fainted right into Joshua's arms, or at least, that was the way it appeared to Felicity. At any rate, he managed somehow to catch her before she hit the ground.

"What should I do with her?" Josh inquired with some irony when he had gotten a good grip on her.

"Right over here, sir," Bellwood informed him with no change whatsoever in his expression. "On the fainting couch." He indicated an oddly shaped piece of furniture in one corner of the room. Josh gratefully carried his burden over to it.

Following him, Felicity noticed for the first time that the room was enormous. Her first impression had been one of closeness, but she realized now what had caused that impression. The place was literally crammed with objects d'art of every description. Every wall and flat surface was covered with paintings, sculptures, figurines, and assorted knickknacks, which were, in turn, adorned with peacock feathers or silk flowers or some other foofaraw. Felicity realized vaguely that she could spend an entire day in this room and never see everything it contained.

When Josh had laid Isabel down, Felicity examined her aunt's pale face in dismay. "Good heavens, what should we do?" she asked, appalled at the havoc her arrival had caused.

"Perhaps you should throw some water in her face, madam," Bellwood suggested calmly.

"Water?" Felicity asked incredulously, turning on him. That was when she noticed the twinkle in his eye. No sooner had she registered this incongruity than she heard her aunt moan, loudly and dramatically.

"My salts, Richard," Isabel said feebly.

"It works every time, madam," Bellwood informed Felicity in a whisper.

Wide-eyed with amazement, Felicity looked back to observe her cousin Richard handing a vial to her aunt. He was as unmoved as Bellwood. She glanced at Josh. He, too, seemed unnaturally calm for a man who had just caught an unconscious woman. Was she the only one in the room who felt sympathy for her poor aunt… or did her aunt really need any sympathy? She turned a suspicious gaze back toward the small lady on the fainting couch.

"Are you all right, Aunt Isabel?" Felicity felt compelled to ask.

Isabel inhaled of her smelling salts and sighed. "Yes…yes, I'm fine now," she said with a weak smile. "How fortunate that handsome young man was there to catch me. Who did you say he was again, Richard?"

"He's my husband, Aunt Isabel," Felicity replied for him, stepping closer to the couch where her aunt lay so she could better judge her condition.

"Husband?" Isabel repeated, forgetting to sound faint. "We heard nothing about any husband. Why, you're much too young to be married, my dear," she added with a frown.

"I'm nineteen, and I've been married almost a year," Felicity said, certain now that Isabel's faint had been faked. What she could not figure out was why.

Isabel's cornflower eyes took Joshua in from head to toe and back again. "A year," she echoed, and looked as if she might faint again. "Oh, my…"

"Isabel," Richard said impatiently.

But she ignored him. "I'm so sorry I fainted. Such a silly thing to do, but you see, you look exactly like my sister, Claire… your mother, that is. It was such a shock. I had no idea…"

"Isabel," Richard repeated, more firmly this time. "Does Uncle Henry want me to bring them up?"

"What? Oh yes," Isabel suddenly recalled. "Bellwood will take you. Bellwood?"

"This way, please," Bellwood said, the twinkle gone from his eyes. Perhaps Felicity had only imagined it the first time.

"Will you be all right, Aunt Isabel?" Felicity inquired perfunctorily, anxious to get to her grandfather at last.

"Oh yes, dear. You go on. Papa will be furious with me if I detain you a moment longer," Isabel assured them.

Once more Bellwood led them. This time he crossed the entrance hall and started up a magnificently carved mahogany staircase carpeted in maroon to harmonize with the marble on the entry floor.

Josh took Felicity's arm and looked down to check her expression. She was frowning, and he was afraid she might still be concerned about her aunt. He leaned down close to her ear and whispered, "Your aunt didn't really faint… And she threw herself at me on purpose," he added.

Felicity glanced up at his disgruntled expression and grinned conspiratorily. "I know," she whispered back. "You should be flattered." She knew from the disgusted sound he made that he wasn't.

The upstairs hall was polished parquet covered with intricately woven runners. Felicity noticed everything, the vastness of the house that went on and on in every direction, the cavernous stairwell that extended up yet another story to a stained-glass skylight, and the plaster molding that adorned even the hallways. She could not begin to imagine the wealth required to build such a splendid dwelling or the labor it would take to maintain it. Vaguely, she realized that her grandfather must employ more people to run his house than she and Joshua required to operate their entire ranch.

What kind of a man could amass such a fortune? What kind of a man would live in such solitary splendor? She had tried not to think of him as the ruthless businessman Blanche had hinted about. She had even tried not to think of him as the man who had disowned her mother for choosing to follow her heart instead of his edict. Instead she had pictured a frail old man, humbled by his own mortality and compelled by love to locate his only granddaughter.

Had she deceived herself? She knew from experience that love was like a delicate flower-it needed warmth in which to grow. As Felicity looked around this flamboyant palace, she sensed no warmth at all. Could love survive here? Was that why her mother had fled with Caleb Storm?

But if her grandfather did not love her, why had he sent for her?

Bellwood paused before a set of double doors and knocked.

"Come in," a muffled voice called from within.

Bellwood opened the door and stepped back again, but this time Richard motioned for Felicity to precede him into the room. Hesitantly, she entered, her thoughts a jumbled mess she had no hope of sorting through now. Perhaps meeting the man himself would give her the answers. Blinking a little to accustom herself to the dim light in the room, she looked around. It was a bedroom, constructed on the same mammoth proportions as the drawing room and with the same overdone decor. But before she could take in any details, she saw a small man in a blue brocade dressing gown rise from a chair across the room. "My God," he said. "Claire!"

Chapter Eleven

"No, Uncle Henry, this is your granddaughter, Felicity," Richard quickly corrected, rushing to her side.

Felicity stared at the old man, half expecting him to faint as Isabel had done. But he did not. Instead, he cast Richard an irritated glance. "Of course she's Felicity! I know that! I'm not senile yet!"

Then he returned his gaze to Felicity, and the irritation disappeared. He smiled and held out his hand to her. "Come here, child."

Somewhat relieved, Felicity went to him, taking the hand he offered. It was surprisingly warm; his grip, strong and sure. She studied him more closely. He was quite old, even older than she had expected, and he looked as if he had been sick for a while. His skin was pale and slack from loss of weight. But his blue eyes-a faded version of her own- sparkled when he looked at her.

"You do look like your mother, you know. The resemblance is remarkable," he said after a moment.

"So I've been told," Felicity remarked, dimpling.

At her grandfather's puzzled frown, Richard explained. "Isabel fainted when she saw her."

Maxwell nodded his understanding. "Isabel faints quite frequently. She's a spiritless girl. Never did learn how to behave in company, so she faints when she can't think of anything to say."

So that explained it, Felicity thought, reflecting how such a habit must at times be a very useful device. But of course, she did not say so. She would have to be very careful to mind her tongue, as her father had often tried to teach her. She did not want to scandalize her grandfather or tarnish her mother's sterling memory by behaving improperly. Instead, she smiled sweetly and took the seat he offered her. He had been sitting at a small table by the window, and she sat opposite him.

Maxwell glanced up impatiently at Richard, who hovered nearby, and caught a glimpse of Josh, who still stood in the doorway. "Who's that?" he demanded.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Grandfather," Felicity said quickly, abashed at having forgotten to introduce Joshua. "This is my husband, Joshua Logan."

"Husband!" Maxwell protested. "Gordon didn't say anything about a husband."

"He forgot," Richard explained sarcastically.

Maxwell snorted in disbelief. "Well, don't just stand there. Pull up a chair, young man," he commanded, motioning Josh into the room. "Richard, open the drapes so I can see these people."

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Maxwell," Josh muttered with an ironic smile that made Henry Maxwell's eyes narrow speculatively. So the old man was sizing him up, was he? Well, it was no more than Josh had expected, and he was ready. The only thing he hadn't been prepared for was Felicity's reaction to this situation. He had seen the awed expression on her face as she took in the magnificence of the Maxwell mansion. The fact that meeting her grandfather had made her forget that she even had a husband-for however brief a time-also disturbed him. But he would not let the old man see his concern. Instinct warned him that Maxwell would pounce on any weakness.

Maintaining his smile, Josh carried a chair over to the table and sat down beside Felicity, stretching his long legs out in front of him. Henry Maxwell examined them with interest and then proceeded to study Josh's face.

"That's quite a head of hair you have there, young man," he said. "What have you done to earn it?"

Josh did not even blink. "I married your granddaughter."

Neither man seemed to hear Felicity's surprised gasp. Gunmetal-gray eyes stared into faded blue ones in a silent battle of wills as the two men took each other's measure. After a very long minute, Maxwell said, "She must be just like her mother. Claire always was more trouble than any two women put together."

Felicity frowned. What could her grandfather mean? She knew perfectly well how gentle and serene her mother had been. Or did she? Before she could think to ask about it, however, Richard's voice cut into her thoughts.

"Joshua is a rancher in Texas. He owns twenty thousand cows," Richard reported. Felicity thought she heard an undercurrent of envy in his tone.

"Twenty thousand, eh?" Maxwell mused. "You must be doing well, then."

"We eat regular," Josh allowed, crossing his arms over his chest in a gesture of challenge. He decided not to point out to Richard that not all his cattle were "cows."

Tired of this male sparring, Felicity tossed Joshua a warning look and said, "I brought you a present, Grandfather. Would you like to see it?"

"A present?" he repeated, his attention shifting back to her. "Yes, I would like to see it."

"I'll go get it," she offered, and started to rise, but Maxwell motioned for her to stay still.

"Hastings will fetch it for you," he said. Another servant whom Felicity had not even noticed before stepped forward and listened intently to Felicity's instructions to fetch the red carpetbag that Mr. Logan had carried in with him.

Felicity reflected that a person could get mighty lazy living in this house.

"That's a lovely dress, my dear," Maxwell said when Hastings had gone.

"Oh, thank you," Felicity said, flushing slightly. "It's my wedding dress." Self-consciously, she touched one of the buttons at her throat.

Maxwell watched the motion thoughtfully. "I'll bet you made it yourself, too," he ventured.

"Why, yes, I did," Felicity admitted, a little amazed that he should guess.

Richard turned his head and coughed, but she barely noticed. Maxwell simply smiled. "Well, she's clever as well as pretty, Richard. I can see you have a real eye for style, my dear. Perhaps while you're here, you'll allow me to buy you a few more gowns."

Felicity shook her head, smiling to soften her refusal. "I don't need any clothes, Grandfather. Mr. Logan is very good to me. I already have more dresses than I can wear."

"Nonsense," Maxwell chuckled. "A pretty girl never has too many dresses. Besides, your friends will be disappointed if you don't come back with something in the height of fashion to show them. Indulge an old man his whimsy, will you? It has been too many years since I was allowed to buy something pretty for a beautiful young woman."

Felicity glanced at her husband. Misreading his expression, she guessed that he was displeased by her grandfather's offer. "No, really-" she began, but Josh cut her off.

"My wife is an unusual woman, Mr. Maxwell. She was brought up to scorn material possessions," Josh explained, ignoring Felicity's disgruntled frown. He really was angry, but not, as Felicity supposed, at her grandfather's offer. For the first time he had seen her beautiful wedding dress through Henry Maxwell's eyes and realized how hopelessly provincial she must appear. Why hadn't he anticipated this? Why hadn't Blanche anticipated it? They could have stopped off in Dallas for a few days to get Felicity some stylish clothes from Blanche's dressmaker. But it was too late now. He would just have to be gracious, in spite of how much it galled him to see the pity Richard and Maxwell could barely conceal. "Felicity and I had our first argument over how elaborate her wedding dress should be. As you can see, she won."

"Mr. Logan!" Felicity remonstrated, ready to point out that she hadn't even wanted a gown as elaborate as the one he had forced her to select, but he gave her no chance.

"I think you'll hurt your grandfather's feelings if you refuse his generous offer," Josh told her gently.

This left her momentarily speechless, since she had only continued to refuse because she thought Joshua disapproved. "Well, all right," Felicity finally agreed, somehow managing a gracious smile.

At that moment, Hastings returned with the carpetbag. Felicity fished inside and produced the decorated box. With a combination of trepidation and anticipation, she placed it on the table in front of her grandfather.

Maxwell gave her a long, considering look, and then he flipped open the box. He stiffened immediately. "Photographs," he said, spitting out the word as if it were vile. "I suppose your father took them."

Felicity watched the warmth in his eyes freeze solid, and for one second she gave thanks that she had included none of her father's pictures in this collection. If her father had hated Henry Maxwell enough to keep her from him all these years, then Henry Maxwell returned that hate tenfold, judging from his expression.

"No, Grandfather," she hastened to explain. "These are all photographs that I took. Some of them are of our ranch in Texas, and our friends. The one on top is our house with all our ranch hands posed in front of it."

But Maxwell wasn't looking at the photographs. He looked instead at Felicity, his eyes narrowed speculatively.

" You took these?"

"Yes, my… my father taught me how," she said, rushing on when she saw his eyes harden again. "Some people think they're pretty good. I'm pleased with them myself." Felicity gave him a tentative smile and reached out to slide the top photograph out of the way. "And this is Mr. Logan, of course," she said, pointing to the next picture.

Finally, Maxwell looked down at the pictures. He studied the one of Joshua and then picked it up to get a closer look. "When was this taken?" he asked, peering suspiciously at Josh over the top of the picture.

"That… that was the day Mr. Logan… the day he proposed to me," Felicity stammered as she recalled her own reaction upon seeing Joshua's expression in that picture for the first time. Remembering what else had happened the day she took that photograph, she felt her cheeks grow hot, but fortunately, her grandfather was not looking at her.

"I should hope he did," Maxwell remarked acerbically to Josh, who glared back defiantly. Once more the two men engaged in a silent battle of wills, which ended when Maxwell finally laid down the photograph and picked up the next one. "And who is this?" he asked with great interest.

"That's our neighbor, Mrs. Delano," Felicity explained. For the next half hour, she gave him a running account of their life in Texas as revealed in the photographs. After a while, even Richard moved closer so he could see them, too.

"These are really very good," Maxwell commented thoughtfully as he flipped back through the pictures, stopping every now and then to examine one more closely. "My granddaughter is very clever, isn't she, Richard?"

"Yes, very," Richard agreed, giving Joshua a look that was almost accusatory.

Felicity wondered what that look meant, but before she could decide, her grandfather asked her, "May I keep these for a while?"

"You can keep them forever," Felicity assured him. "I told you, they're my gift to you."

He gave her a charming smile that made her think of Richard's. "Of course, I'd like them better if there were more pictures of you in here."

"It's hard to take a picture of the photographer," she told him with a laugh.

For just an instant his eyes clouded. "You have her laugh, too," he murmured, but then he brightened again. "Well, I've kept you long enough. You'll be tired from your trip and you'll want to get settled in your room. I imagine Bellwood has had your luggage delivered and unpacked by now. Hastings won't show you where to go."

Josh and Felicity rose. "Will we see you at supper?" she asked.

"No." He shook his head regretfully. "I have a difficult time with the stairs nowadays. But come and see me again afterward, will you?"

"Yes, of course I will," she promised, and then, impulsively-much the same way she had with Mr. Gordon-she bent down and kissed her grandfather's sunken cheek. "I'm awfully glad I came," she whispered.

"So am I," Maxwell whispered back, his eyes suspiciously moist. Then he turned to Josh. "You're a very lucky man," he said gruffly, extending his hand.

"I know," Josh replied, easily reading Maxwell's envy. All his money could not buy him Felicity. Or at least Josh hoped it couldn't.

When Josh and Felicity were gone, Richard turned to his uncle. The old man was obviously smitten with the girl, but there was still the matter of her marriage to Logan. "Well, what do you think?" he asked.

Henry Maxwell sat staring thoughtfully at the door, tapping one index finger on his lower lip. "She's a lovely girl," he said slowly, and then his expression turned cunning. "Get Gordon over here right away. I want to ask him a few questions."

"About Logan," Richard guessed.

"That and some other things. And find out who makes Isabel's clothes and get them over here tomorrow morning, first thing. The poor child can't go out in public looking like that. Oh, and bring me some writing paper. I want to send a note to Alexander Evans," Maxwell added.

"Evans?" Richard asked, puzzled about how the shipping magnate fit into all of these plans.

"Yes, Evans. He belongs to that Photographic Society. I want to get his opinion on these pictures."

Josh undressed slowly, being very careful not to look over at the bed, where Felicity already lay. Oddly enough, he hadn't given much thought to how difficult it was going to be sharing a bed with her after so long a period of abstinence. Unfortunately, it was absolutely necessary that he do so. He did not dare ask for separate rooms and let Maxwell know what a sham their marriage was.

The old man had already drawn the battle lines, making it very clear that the two of them were in competition for Felicity. Maxwell would use the same cunning to win her that he had used to amass his considerable fortune. The thought made Josh's blood run cold. And then there was Winthrop. Where he fit into all of this was anybody's guess, but the little weasel had definitely intended to kiss Felicity this afternoon at the train station. If he didn't have designs on her, too, he was the only one around here who didn't. Josh would have his hands full protecting her from both of them.

Sighing wearily, Josh hung his trousers in the intricately carved rosewood wardrobe and began, from habit, to unbutton his underdrawers, but his hands hesitated on the buttons. What was he doing? The last thing he should do was climb into that bed naked. After refastening the buttons, he moved over to the shiny brass light fixture hanging on the wall and turned off the gaslight, grateful that his own experience had been broad enough to include gaslights. There were already far too many things about life in Philadelphia that were a mystery to him.

Felicity sighed in the darkness. He was going to wear his drawers to bed, as if he needed some protection from her. She waited, lying stiffly beneath the silky sheets, until she felt the bed sag under his weight. His movements were careful as he adjusted the bedclothes over him. Not even so much as an elbow brushed against her. She sighed again.

After they had lain there in complete silence for a long time, Felicity spoke. "What do you think of my grandfather?"

Josh knew she wouldn't want to hear his true opinion, so he said, "He seems like a nice enough fellow."

"I guess Blanche was right about him being rich," she remarked.

Josh only grunted.

"I kept thinking all day what a shame it was that Blanche wasn't here," Felicity continued. "She's the one who could really appreciate all this."

"She would have jumped at the chance to have a rich man buy her clothes, too," Josh said, testing her.

But Felicity did not consider the clothes very important, so she only laughed. "Yes, she would. Blanche would take him for all he's worth, too. She'll be so jealous when she finds out."

Felicity waited, but he made no response. Only the sound of his breathing broke the unnatural silence of the room. The warmth from his body seemed to draw her like a magnet, but she dared not move toward him, not when he still lay as stiff as a poker. Not when he still had given no indication he even wanted her. She heard him inhale deeply, and she listened, expecting to hear him sigh into relaxation. Instead, his breath rasped, sounding almost like a moan.

"Joshua?" she asked into the darkness.

"What?"

She sensed his wariness. "Will you… It's been so long… Will you hold me? Just hold me?" she asked, hating the way her voice sounded, like a little girl pleading for a favor.

But he didn't seem to notice. Muttering something that sounded of relief, he turned and wrapped his arms around her in one fluid motion. For a second the nearness of him almost overwhelmed her as desire burst brightly inside of her. The satin smoothness of his heated flesh, the musky maleness of his scent, the tender caress of his roughened hands stirred blessedly familiar sensations to life.

But, she reminded herself, she had only asked him to hold her. To ask more was to betray her promise to him. Even though she had made that promise under duress, she still must keep it. And so she controlled her clamoring desires by sheer force of will and lay motionless in his arms.

Josh cradled her softness to him, enduring the sweetest of torments as visions of the pleasures they had previously known danced provocatively before his mind's eye. He could feel the tension in her slight body and hear the raggedness of her breathing. He knew her desires matched his own, but he also knew she would make no demands. Not now. Not until she had consulted with her doctors, at least. After that, when she knew the truth about the empty years ahead, her demands would be different.

Pulling her closer, he buried his face in the cloud of her hair. "Go to sleep, honey," he urged, hoping that he could do the same.

The dressmaker came early. Felicity and her aunt spent the morning poring over designs and fabric swatches until Felicity's head was spinning and she no longer had a clear idea of exactly how many dresses she was having made. Too many; of that she was certain.

When the dressmaker had finally gone, Felicity found Joshua reading a newspaper downstairs in one of the parlors.

He glanced up and frowned at the somewhat dazed expression on her face. "Is something wrong?"

Felicity shook her head. "I don't think so," she said, and then smiled at her own uncertainty. "It's just that I never did anything like that before. Mademoselle Fabian had so many beautiful designs to choose from that I'm afraid I went a little crazy. Aunt Isabel insisted, though. She even made me order some evening dresses," Felicity reported, wide-eyed. "She said that Richard would be taking us out to the theater and places like that. You can't imagine how formally people here dress."

Josh's frown deepened as he considered this. So Richard was going to take her to the theater, was he?

"Excuse me," Bellwood said from the doorway. "Luncheon is served."

Josh rose to follow Felicity out into the hall, but he paused as he passed Bellwood, letting Felicity go on ahead. "Tell me, Bellwood, what does a gentleman wear to the theater in Philadelphia?"

Bellwood's inscrutable expression wavered just a bit. "Why, evening clothes, Mr. Logan."

Josh chewed on this a moment.

"Excuse me, sir," Bellwood said, lowering his voice. "I couldn't help but notice your wardrobe does not include evening attire. I could perhaps recommend a tailor."

"Perhaps you'd better," Josh allowed wryly.

"If you wish, I can call for the carriage this afternoon to take you to Mr. Maxwell's personal tailor," Bellwood offered.

But Josh shook his head. He didn't need clothes that fancy. "Just any average tailor will do," he said.

"Excuse me, sir," Bellwood contradicted. "If you want to go to the theater with Mr. Winthrop and your wife, you had best go to Mr. Maxwell's tailor and tell them you are his grandson-in-law. That is the only way your clothes will be ready on time."

Josh frowned, hating the very idea of trading on Henry Maxwell's name for a favor.

Bellwood seemed to sense his reluctance. He sweetened the pot a little. "I believe you'll find that Mr. Maxwell's tailor is also the most reasonable in town as regards to price. That is why Mr. Maxwell selected him. It is one of the character traits that has made Mr. Maxwell so wealthy a man," he added with a twinkle.

Josh shook his head in wonder at the butler. "All right, Bellwood. Call up the carriage after lunch."

Henry Maxwell fidgeted uncharacteristically with the bedclothes as he waited for his visitor's opinion. "Well, what do you think, Alex?" he demanded after several minutes.

Alexander Evans, a man who had made a fortune in the shipping business, took his time answering. He examined the photograph in his hands a while longer, his gray head bent close, and then he picked up another picture and compared the two. "They're remarkable, Henry," he decreed at last.

"What do you mean, 'remarkable'?" Henry asked suspiciously.

"I mean, they are excellent. Take the picture of this woman, for example," Alex said, showing Henry the portrait of Blanche Delano. "Look at the way she's posed."

Henry sniffed in disapproval. "She looks like a tart."

"Exactly," Alex said. "See the way her body is positioned? The way her hands are folded? The expression on her face? There's nothing indiscreet about any one detail of the picture, but the observer receives the impression of a woman who is… uh, shall we say, not averse to having a good time?"

"And these cowboys," Alex continued, finding several other examples to illustrate his point. "Most of them are young boys who are bound to be self-conscious before a camera, but your granddaughter has managed to capture their personalities in natural settings, rather than the traditional stiffly posed portrait. It's absolutely remarkable." Then he looked more closely at the pictures and frowned. "Hmmmm," he mused.

"And what does 'hmmmm' mean?" Henry asked in irritation.

"Are you certain that the little girl I saw downstairs really took these photographs?"

Henry scowled. "Don't you think she could have?"

Alex shrugged. "She's awfully young. And look at the quality of these prints. Why, the plates were prepared with the hand of an expert. There's hardly a bump or bubble visible in the whole lot. Perhaps these are really the work of her father, and she lied to you to impress you. You couldn't blame her for that," he ventured apologetically.

"Impossible," Henry decreed. "Besides, all these people are Logan's friends and neighbors. She didn't even meet him until after her father was dead. There's no way Storm could have taken these photographs."

Alex shook his head in wonder. "He must have started training her when she was in diapers, then. I've been dabbling in photography for more than ten years, and I still have trouble making a proper plate. Henry, could I borrow these pictures for a while?"

"What do you want to do with them?" Henry asked, unwilling to let Felicity's gift out of his sight.

"There's a meeting of the Photographic Society next week. I'd like to show these to the other members and get their opinions. Perhaps I'm just impressed because I've seen the photographer. I won't tell them anything about her, not even that she's a female, until they've told me what they think. Then you'll know for sure just how good they really are." Alex smiled cajolingly at his old friend.

"And if they are good, then what?" Henry asked suspiciously.

"Well," Alex pondered, "I was thinking about the Photography Building at the Exposition. We'll be displaying thousands of photographs there. No reason why hers shouldn't be among them… Although how the other photographers will feel about a woman's work being considered equal with theirs remains to be seen."

"Humph," Henry snorted. "It's early days to be thinking about all that. You said yourself, you aren't even sure how good her work is yet."

"But you will let me take the photographs, won't you?" Alex insisted. "I'll take good care of them and bring them back the day after the meeting." He gave Henry a quizzical smile. "Do I have to pledge the life of my firstborn?"

"No," Henry admitted grudgingly. "But nothing better happen to those pictures."

"Oh, I think something will happen to them, all right," Alex said, still grinning. "But it will be something very, very nice."

The next morning, Josh and Felicity were in the back parlor, the informal room where the family usually sat, when Henry Maxwell received another visitor.

"Good morning, Dr. Lowell," Bellwood greeted him.

When Dr. Lowell had been escorted upstairs, Felicity sought Bellwood out. "Who was that man?"

"That is Dr. Lowell, your grandfather's physician," Bellwood informed her.

"Would you please tell him that I'd like to speak with him before he leaves?" she asked, flushing slightly with embarrassment at delivering her first order to Bellwood. And then she wondered what such a great doctor would think of being summoned to her presence, but she was rapidly learning that to do so was the only way she got to see anyone in this house.

A short while later, Bellwood announced Dr. Lowell, a tall, distinguished man with dark hair and a full beard, and ushered him into the parlor. When introductions were complete and everyone was seated comfortably, Dr. Lowell began, anticipating Josh and Felicity's questions.

"Your grandfather seems to be doing well, but I am afraid that is an illusion, Mrs. Logan," he said solemnly.

"An illusion? What do you mean?" she asked, alarmed.

"Well, of course he is in good spirits because of your visit. I understand that he has even been out of bed…"

"Yes, but I thought that was a good sign," Felicity said.

Dr. Lowell shook his head. "I fear he has overextended his limited resources. What you have interpreted as a return of good health might in fact indicate just the opposite. His exertions may actually hasten his demise."

"Oh no!" Felicity protested, horrified that she might unwittingly be the cause of her grandfather's death.

But Dr. Lowell smiled indulgently. "Don't be unduly alarmed, Mrs. Logan," he assured her. "I only tell you this as a warning. I'm sure that if your grandfather resumes his quiet life, he will live for several more months."

"Months?" Josh echoed, unable to believe the lively man he had met the previous day had only months left to live.

But Dr. Lowell nodded sagely. "I'm afraid so."

Felicity stared at the doctor. She simply could not accept such a discouraging diagnosis. She could not believe her grandfather was really dying. "Isn't there anything you can do?" she pleaded.

But Dr. Lowell shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry. All we can do now is make his last days as pleasant as possible."

As pleasant as possible. Felicity turned that thought over in her mind. Obviously, her presence pleased her grandfather. She would give him as much of that as he desired. And she would ask him what else she could do to make him happy. And she would…

"Did you have any other questions?" Dr. Lowell asked solicitously.

With difficulty, Felicity dragged her attention back to the present. Any other questions? Suddenly she recalled the real reason she had summoned Dr. Lowell in the first place. "Yes, doctor, I… I would like to ask you something else. Something personal, not about my grandfather at all," she began with growing trepidation.

"Certainly," Dr. Lowell agreed, settling back in his chair as if prepared to stay all day and answer questions if it pleased her.

Felicity nervously twisted her hands in her lap as she searched her mind for the proper way to start. "I had a baby a few months ago," she began, feeling the prickle of tears at the memories. "He… he was…"

"The baby was stillborn," Josh supplied quietly, sparing her the distress of saying the words. "My wife had a very difficult time, and she almost died herself."

Dr. Lowell nodded his understanding. His dark eyes expressed his profound sympathy.

"What I want to know is, can I have another baby?" Felicity asked in anguish, hating the fact that she must discuss her tragedy with a stranger, but forcing herself to ignore her own pain in the hopes that this stranger might be able to help.

Dr. Lowell considered her question for a moment. "There is no simple answer to your question, Mrs. Logan. In the first place, I would need to know many more details about your labor and delivery, the condition of the child, and so on. Then I would have to examine you-"

"Examine me!" Felicity exclaimed. This was something she had never even considered.

"The hell you will!" Josh contradicted, lunging to his feet.

Dr. Lowell jumped up also, instantly defensive. "I assure you, Mr. Logan, there is nothing untoward-"

"You aren't going to examine her, and that's all there is to it," Josh declared.

Dr. Lowell seemed loath to argue the point. "Whatever you decide, of course," he said, backing toward the door. "If you change your mind-"

"We won't," Josh said, arms akimbo. Dr. Lowell made a hasty exit.

Felicity winced as the parlor door slammed shut. An examination. She wasn't sure just what an examination by a doctor would involve, having never had one before, but from Joshua's reaction, it must be quite unpleasant. How could she let a strange man look at her body, perhaps even touch it? But if that would mean she and Joshua could be together again, if it would mean they could have another child, she would endure anything. "Maybe it won't be so bad," she ventured.

"He's not going to lay a finger on you, Felicity," Josh decreed, pacing furiously around the room. "I saw the way he looked at you. Doctor or not, he's still a man, and I won't hear of it."

Felicity nodded numbly as she tried to sort out the ramifications of his statement. If the doctor couldn't examine her, then how would she ever find out if she could have another baby? She would never hold her own living child in her arms. The mere thought made her shudder. And if there could be no child, that meant she and Joshua could never make love again. How could they live together under those circumstances? And how long would it be before a young, healthy man like Joshua got tired of sleeping alone and sent his useless wife away? The possibilities were too horrible even to contemplate.

"Joshua, I… I want to have another baby," she began, fighting the sting of tears. She had to change his mind about the examination.

"Of course you do," Josh said, rushing to her side, his anger gone. "I do, too, but not if it will endanger your life," he said, going down on one knee beside her chair and taking her hands in his.

"But we don't know whether it will or not unless the doctor examines me…"

"Felicity, do you have any idea what that means?" he asked impatiently.

"I… I think so," she admitted reluctantly, not wanting to think about it.

"Are you willing to lie there, naked, and let that man put his hands on you?" Josh asked in quiet outrage at the very thought.

The idea horrified her, but she could endure it, she knew. "But what if the doctor tells me I can have another baby?" she argued.

"He won't," Josh said sadly.

"How do you know?" she insisted. "Nobody knows until-"

"I know," he insisted. "Look at me, Lissy."

Startled by his command, Felicity stared at him.

"Look at me," he repeated, his voice raw. "And then look at yourself. I'm twice as big as you are. That's what caused the problem in the first place. The baby, my baby, was too big for you, and it almost killed you. Don't you understand? Any baby I give you will be too big. No doctor in the world can change that."

"Oh, Joshua," she cried as his image blurred before her. She had known that, but she simply hadn't let herself believe it before. Hearing it again from his own lips was too awful, too final, and she did not think she could bear it.

And then his arms were around her, cradling her as she sobbed out her anguish. Somehow he lifted her and then she was in his lap, her tears soaking into his shirt. Those tears should have brought release, but instead they seemed to scald her very soul, defying even the comfort that Joshua offered.

Josh held her fiercely, silently cursing the powers that had given them each other and then snatched away their chance at happiness. As he muffled her sobs against his chest, he wondered how much tragedy one so tiny could absorb. First she had lost her father and then their child. Then came the news about her grandfather and now this. How much could she endure without shattering?

At that moment he would have given his life to protect her from even one more moment's misery. Unfortunately, no one was willing to make such a trade with him. "Don't cry, Ussy," he murmured into her hair as his hands tried to soothe her.

But his attempt to comfort only made her cry harder. "I love you so much, so very much," she cried brokenly, overwhelmed by his tenderness.

Josh closed his own eyes over the sting of tears, understanding her feelings only too well. The word "love" no longer described the depth of what he felt for her. Unable to find any words that did, he simply whispered, "I know," and held her even more tightly.

For a long time they sat like that until Felicity was too weak even to cry anymore. Then Joshua carried her upstairs and put her in bed. His tender solicitude sent new, silent tears trickling down her cheeks, but he wiped those away and ordered her to sleep.

"Don't think about it anymore," he urged as he kissed her gently. "Just rest now." With that he closed the draperies and left her alone in the darkened room.

She did not sleep and she did not forget, but after a while the pain receded enough that she thought she might be able to bear it. By evening, she had even regained her composure. She had her grandfather to consider, after all. If she wanted to make his last days pleasant, she could not spend her time weeping over something she could not change. At least she still had Joshua. That was more than many women had. Somehow they would make a good life together.

When Joshua climbed into their bed and put his arms around her that night, she whispered, "I love you. I know everything will work out."

He said nothing to disillusion her.

* * *

The thing Felicity liked best about Philadelphia was how close everything was to everything else. The first Saturday night after their fancy clothes arrived, Richard took Josh and Felicity to the Walnut Street Theater-only a short carriage ride away-to see the play Divorce.

Josh tried not to put too much significance on the play's title, even though he could not help but notice the way Richard's original warmth toward Felicity had heated up considerably. Now that Josh saw her sitting in a box at the theater, dressed in a magnificent new gown and surrounded by Richard's fawning friends, he could easily imagine what plans Richard might be making.

Any fool could see that Maxwell adored Felicity. If the old man really was dying-something Josh had a difficult time believing regardless of what his doctor said-he would doubtless leave the bulk of his fortune to his granddaughter. The fact that Richard coveted Maxwell's wealth was painfully obvious. The way he flaunted that wealth to impress Josh and Felicity proved it.

Josh glanced across the box to where his wife was sitting surrounded by the young men attracted by her beauty during the intermission. And she was a beauty, even without the embellishment of the blue silk gown. Her hair glowed under the artificial lights, shining more golden than even the jewelry her aunt had insisted she wear tonight. The stones, Isabel had said, were sapphires. They were set into an intricate filigree and flashed now at Felicity's ears and throat. But the cold beauty of the stones could not compare with the dazzling sparkle of Felicity's even bluer eyes as she laughed happily at some jest one of her admirers had made.

Like the sapphire stones which showed to better advantage in their golden settings, Felicity, too, showed well in this setting. Her dress, the color of a robin's egg, was cut low to reveal the lush curve of her bosom and cut tight to emphasize the supple slenderness of her body. The skinny little girl he had found out on the prairie was gone forever, replaced by the exquisite creature before him.

Josh reflected sardonically that he had once vowed never to fall in love with her. How idiotic such a notion seemed now as he watched perfect strangers succumbing to her spell. He had been doomed from the first moment, from the instant she had fainted into his arms. The irony of it was that his love could only bring her suffering… and possibly even death.

He wasn't a fool. He knew that the two of them could not live together for long without making love. Sooner or later it would happen again, just as it had happened once already. That time they had been lucky and Felicity had not conceived, but would they be lucky the next time? Taking her back to Texas with him might cost her life.

He did have a choice, of course. He could leave her here, to a life of luxury with Maxwell. And Winthrop. Seeing her here, dressed in fine clothes and surrounded by luxury, made him realize how easily she would adapt to this kind of life. With Winthrop. at her side, she would ease effortlessly into Philadelphia society. The thought of her and Winthrop together tore through him like the sharp blade of a knife, and the pain grew worse when he realized that Felicity would have nothing to fear from Winthrop. Any whelp that bastard begot would, of necessity, be a runt.

"Mr. Logan?" a female voice asked. He turned back to the lady sitting beside him. She had entered the box with a male companion who was now paying court to Felicity, but the lady seemed unconcerned over that fact. "I asked you about your ranch. Exactly how large is it?" She gave him a simpering smile and fluttered her fan coyly.

She really was an attractive woman, Josh noted objectively. Flirtatious, too. And she probably thought him a complete boor for ignoring her to stare at his own wife. "That's hard to say, ma'am," he replied perfunctorily. "You can cover it end to end in one day if you have a fast horse, though."

Her fan fluttered again as her eyes widened in a manner calculated to please his male pride. "Good heavens, as big as all that?" she exclaimed breathlessly. "You must tell me all about it."

At the moment, Josh could think of nothing he wanted to do less, but he obliged the lady. If he was not exactly enthusiastic, if the lady now thought him boring, too, that was her problem. Josh simply could not work up any zeal for impressing another woman, not when his own wife was so obviously making an impression of her own.

Felicity glanced up to catch Josh staring at her, his gray eyes shuttered to conceal his inner thoughts. He did not look pleased, but even frowning, he was the most handsome man in the room, especially dressed in the new evening clothes. She had hardly recognized him in such elegant attire, but then she had hardly recognized her own reflection staring back from the mirror, either. Everything about this evening was like a dream, including the group of young men who were intent on amusing her. The only thing that seemed real was Joshua's frown.

It made her uneasy, knowing as she did that he would be watching her for signs that this kind of life tempted her the way it had tempted his mother. Then she wondered if perhaps there was more to it than that. Perhaps he was a little jealous about the attention she was getting from the young men. The thought stirred her, awakening a new feeling of feminine power. Even though he had not said the words for a long time, he did care for her, he did love her. She would cling to that thought. She flashed Joshua a reassuring smile before turning back to the young man who was addressing her.

On Sunday afternoon Richard took them for a ride out to Fairmount Park. As they crossed the Girard Avenue Bridge which spanned the wide Schuylkill River, Richard gave them a running history of the development of the park. He explained that earlier in the century, the city council had become concerned over maintaining the quality of the city's water. In 1855, they had annexed Robert Morris's estate at Lemon Hill, along with thirty-three additional acres, to the existing Fairmount Water Works. From this land, they created an extensive public park which served the dual purpose of protecting the water supply and providing a natural haven for all those who lived in the city.

As they left the racket and clamor of the city behind and entered the quiet verdancy of the park, Felicity began to understand the necessity for such a place of refuge.

"And that is the Zoological Society," Richard said, pointing out a large area below them dotted with various buildings and enclosures.

"What is a Zoological Society?" Felicity asked, trying to decide if the buildings really did have bars on them.

Richard laughed indulgently. "It's a zoo," he explained. At her blank look, he added, "They keep wild animals there so people can come and look at them."

"How cruel!" Felicity said, thinking of the poor animals cooped up in cages like that.

A little nonplussed, Richard tried another tack. "But the animals are very well treated. When the weather is a little warmer, we'll go see them. Then you'll understand. Just think of all the city people who would never get to see animals otherwise."

"Do city people really need to see wild animals?" Felicity asked, interested to note that Richard had no answer.

He was silent for a long time, making Josh realize that this was the first time he had seen Richard at a loss for words. As much as he disliked Felicity's cousin, Josh understood that his dislike stemmed from the natural animosity he would feel toward any man who rivaled him for Felicity's affection. In another situation, he might not have found Richard's company so offensive. The man was certainly a perfect host and a knowledgeable conversationalist. If he hadn't been quite so handsome and charming-and quite so obviously enamored of Felicity-Josh could easily have tolerated him.

Under other circumstances, Josh might even have liked Philadelphia. Although he did not care for the congestion and noise of the city, he did enjoy the activities available in such a place. And now that he had seen this beautiful park, he could even understand why people might consent to live here.

"This is where the Centennial Exposition will be held," Richard announced triumphantly, piquing Josh's interest in the jumble of half-completed buildings and construction materials that had just come into view.

Felicity drew a blank until she recalled something Blanche had told her. "Oh yes, the fair to celebrate America's centennial," she exclaimed, peering out the carriage window. But the confusion before her gave no indication of the glorious triumph Blanche had foretold. "I thought it was going to open soon," she said.

"Well, it was supposed to open in April, but they've moved the date to May now, because of construction delays," Richard explained, giving the buildings another, more serious, inspection. Secretly, he agreed with Felicity's assessment that the fair still did not look anywhere near ready for the scheduled May 10 opening date. The first of March was already past. "Well, well come for the opening-day festivities, and you will see for yourself that Philadelphia can rise to any challenge," he said with false bravado. "They say that President Grant himself is coming to cut the ribbon."

"You mean General Grant?" Josh could not resist asking, reminding Richard that Grant was not well loved in all parts of the country.

"They say that the main building is the largest in the world," Richard reported with a strained smile. Although he was flushing slightly, he refused to acknowledge Josh's barb. "And every country in Europe will have a building displaying their industry and achievements."

As Richard continued to point out items of interest on their tour, Josh recalled Richard's previous offhand remark about coming to the opening day of the Exposition. That was over two months away. Just how long did he think they would be staying? Josh had a ranch to run, and spring was the busiest season of the year. He could not possibly stay in Philadelphia that long.

But Felicity could, he realized suddenly. She had no responsibilities calling her back to Texas. Was that what Richard had in mind? He had already promised to escort them to more plays and to concerts and all the various entertainments offered in this great city. If such a prospect impressed Josh, how much more would it impress someone as innocent as Felicity, a girl who had known no other home but a wagon before coming to Josh's ranch?

And even the Rocking L could not compete with the enticements Richard offered, as Josh well knew. No wonder Josh's mother had been unable to bear living on an isolated ranch in Texas after knowing this kind of life. For the first time, Josh was able to understand the forces that had drawn his mother away from him and his father. But understanding someone's reason for doing something and allowing the same thing to happen again were two entirely different things. If Richard hoped to lure Felicity away with his fancy city life, Josh would be ready for him.

Josh grew more ready in the coming days as Richard made good his promise and introduced them to Philadelphia society on a grand scale, a scale obviously calculated to turn the head of a poor little country girl.

"But we can't leave yet!" Felicity protested, glaring at Joshua from across the parlor. "We only just got here! Grandfather will be so disappointed and-"

"I know, but there's no help for it," Josh insisted. "I have a ranch to run, you know. There's branding and-"

"Grady and the men can do that without your help," Felicity said, growing more desperate by the minute. She knew he did not like the city. Even she could feel the smothering closeness in this place, where she had to strain her neck just to see the sky and where the stars were faint from the glow of gaslight. Loving his land as he did, Joshua must feel the constrictions even more fiercely. He did not seem to get along well with Richard or her grandfather, either, but surely staying just a little longer wouldn't hurt him. Their men could certainly handle the routine task of branding. "Please, Joshua," she pleaded, moving closer to him and slipping her arms around his waist. "Grandfather's dying! I may never get another chance to visit him. Just a few more weeks?"

Josh looked down into her eyes, overwhelmed as always by her beauty. She looked as if she might cry, but he could not let that sway his resolve. "How many weeks?" he asked, wondering if he might be able to placate her with a small compromise. A week or two longer wouldn't hurt.

Felicity's hopes soared. He was going to be reasonable. "I don't know," she began, making some quick calculations in her head. "Another month or two?"

Josh scowled in quick fury. Obviously, his small compromise was out of the question. "Only two months?" he inquired sarcastically. "How about three or four? Or why don't we just hang around until the old man's string runs out? If you're lucky, he'll leave you the house, and then you'll be able to stay here forever!"

Stung, Felicity jerked away from him. "Is that what you think? That I want to stay here forever?" she asked. Apprehension shivered over her as she recognized his worst fear come to life. Was that why he was so anxious to get her away from here? Did he trust her so little?

"It doesn't matter what you want," he declared coldly. "You're going home with me-now, and not two months from now." He turned away, knowing he was being, unreasonable and even cruel, but unable to stop himself.

Just as he had suspected, Richard had woven his spell around her. After only two weeks she was already reluctant to leave. Josh did not dare to let her stay any longer.

Felicity could only stare at his rigid back. What was wrong with him? He had never treated her like this, like a piece of property with no feelings. Even when he had been cold to her during her pregnancy, he had been considerate of her needs and wants. Now it seemed that her needs and wants no longer even mattered to him. Was this the way a man desperate to keep the woman he loved would act? She had no way of knowing, and before she could consider it further, a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Pardon me, Mr. Logan. I have a… Oh, I'm sorry, ma'am," Bellwood hastily apologized from the doorway. "I thought Mr. Logan was alone."

Felicity drew a ragged breath. "He will be, in just a second," she said, whirling in a rustle of skirts and sweeping past the butler out of the room. She needed some time alone, away from this unfamiliar Joshua, to get control of herself and to figure out how to deal with this new situation.

"I hope I didn't interrupt anything, sir," Bellwood said, his usually inscrutable face betraying a hint of unease at Felicity's precipitous departure.

Josh sighed wearily. He was grateful for the interruption. He hated hurting Felicity, even when he knew it was in her best interests. "What is it, Bellwood?"

"There is a letter for you, sir, from Texas."

"A letter?" Josh repeated, forgetting everything else for the moment. He picked up the envelope Bellwood offered to him on a small silver tray and began tearing it open. "Call my wife, will you? She'll want to read it, too."

But instead of responding to Josh's command, Bellwood cleared his throat. "Excuse me, sir, but perhaps you should read it first." At Josh's quizzical look, he explained. "I would not have brought it had I known Mrs. Logan was in the room. You see, the letter is addressed only to you and… ahem, in a woman's hand."

Josh examined the front of the letter more closely. Sure enough, Bellwood was right. The only woman in Texas he could imagine needing to write him a letter was Candace, and she had never learned to write. Alarmed now, Josh finished opening the letter. He quickly scanned the closely written sheet, and when he was finished, he swore quietly and crumpled the paper viciously into a tiny ball.

"Bad news, sir?" Bellwood inquired solicitously.

Josh started, having forgotten the butler's presence. "I'm afraid so, Bellwood," he said purposefully walking over to the grate and tossing the crumpled paper and the envelope into the flames. "Please don't mention anything about this letter to Mrs. Logan, will you?"

"Oh no, sir," Bellwood promised.

Blanche hurried up the steps, heedless of her long skirt. Candace waited at the door of the ranch house for her. "I came as soon as I could," Blanche said as she crossed the porch. "How bad is he?"

"Just some bumps and bruises, but his arm's broke for sure," Candace replied, stepping back to allow Blanche to enter the house. "I put him in Mr. Josh's room."

But Blanche needed no directions. She could hear her old friend Bill Grady swearing the moment she got through the front door. "That language could singe the hair off a cat, Billy-boy," Blanche protested cheerfully as she entered the bedroom. "It might offend a lady, too," she added with a wink.

Grady grunted. "If there was any around," he replied sourly.

Blanche shot him an offended look. "There's no call to be mean just because you're feeling poorly," she admonished him. "One more remark like that and I might just accidentally poke you in the arm."

Blanche laughed when she saw the comic way he cringed from such a suggestion. "Beg your pardon, ma'am," he muttered with mock humility, making her laugh again.

"Now that we've improved your manners, what's all this I hear about you falling off your horse?" Blanche inquired.

"Hellfire!" Grady howled. "Is that what Cody told you?"

"No," Blanche said innocently. "He had some fairy tale about how you were ambushed," she teased, but her grin faded when she saw Grady's bleak expression. "You mean you really were ambushed?"

Grady nodded solemnly. "Shot my horse right out from under me. I busted my arm when I fell. Lucky thing some of the boys were nearby. They heard the shots and came on the run, but whoever was doing the shooting got away."

"God Almighty," Blanche breathed. "Have you sent word to Josh yet?"

Grady squirmed uncomfortably. "Not yet," he admitted reluctantly. "See, that's why I asked you to come over. I need someone to write a letter for me." He made a gesture toward his splinted right arm.

"Letter! Why don't you just send a telegram!" Blanche exclaimed.

Grady gave her an exasperated look. "Because he'd think somebody died, that's why," the foreman explained. "Besides, you can't explain much in ten words. He needs to know everything that happened. He may not even want to come home just for this. Mrs. Logan's relatives are pretty important people, and he might think visiting them is more important than this."

Blanche considered that highly unlikely, but she had to agree that Josh needed to know all the details. "All right," she said, and then called, "Candace, can you scare me up some paper and a pen?" Candace did so, and when Blanche was comfortably seated by the bed, Grady began to tell her exactly what had been happening around the ranch the past few days, strange events that had culminated in Grady's ambush.

"Well now, that's quite a story," Blanche said when she was finished writing. "Joshua should find it quite interesting, but if he hollers at you for not sending a telegram, don't blame me," she warned with mock sternness as she prepared to leave Grady alone to his misery.

"I'm much obliged, Blanche," Grady said wearily. "None of the other men were brave enough to write to the boss."

Blanche nodded her understanding. Most of the cowboys were probably illiterate. The few who could read and write would not want to tax their feeble skills with such an important task. "Glad to be of help," Blanche replied. "You just let me know if you need anything else written… like your will or anything," she added wickedly.

Grady glared at her. His look warned that if he hadn't been injured, he would have made her pay for that remark.

Blanche smiled tauntingly, inwardly regretting that Bill Grady was such a short man. He was certainly a lot of fun, and he'd been a good friend through the years. If only he were a foot taller and about forty pounds heavier… if only he looked like Asa Gordon, she admitted silently, she'd be giving him more than a smile. But of course, he didn't look a bit like Asa Gordon, so she simply smiled. "I'll tell Candace to break out Joshua's whiskey for you. You look like you could use some."

Candace was waiting when Blanche came out of the bedroom, her dark face twisted into a worried frown. "What all did he tell you to write?" Candace asked apprehensively.

Blanche's smile quickly faded. Candace looked a little more upset than a broken arm or even an unsuccessful ambush would justify. Was there more to the story than Grady had told her? "Here, I'll read you the letter, and you can tell me if I left anything out," Blanche offered. When she had finished reading, she asked, "Does that cover everything?"

Candace turned away, twisting her hands in her apron. "There's more, Mrs. Delano. Something even Mr. Grady doesn't know."

The tiny hairs on the back of Blanche's neck prickled in warning. "What is it, Candace? I think Joshua should know everything."

Candace hesitated, chewing her lip anxiously for a moment before finally speaking. "You remember last year when Mr. Josh caught Ortega's bunch? There was a colored man with them…" She paused uncertainly.

"Your son?" Blanche asked, letting Candace know she did not have to beat around the bush.

"Yes, my… my son," Candace said the word reluctantly. "He came to see me a few days ago. He said he was going to pay Josh back for ruining his arm." Candace paused over a shuddering sigh. "Oh, Mrs. Delano, he said some terrible things about… about what he was going to do to Miss Felicity."

"Oh, dear Lord," Blanche murmured. "If anything happened to that girl, Josh would just go crazy."

"I know," Candace replied. "I reckon I would, too. This is all my fault. I asked Mr. Josh not to kill Jeremiah, and now…"

Blanche rushed to her as Candace's voice broke in a sob. "There, now, don't think that," Blanche soothed, putting a comforting arm around her. "It's not your fault. And you were right to ask Josh not to kill him. How could he live with that, killing his own flesh and blood? No matter what the man's done, they're still brothers."

Candace lifted startled eyes to Blanche. Few white people would acknowledge such a relationship. Fewer still would grant it any importance. "Thank you," Candace whispered.

But Blanche shrugged off her gratitude. "About those threats, do you think he really meant to hurt Felicity, or was he only trying to scare you?"

"I don't know," Candace admitted.

"Well, we can't take a chance. I'm going to add a postscript to this letter. Maybe it would be a good idea for Felicity to stay in Philadelphia for a while, visiting her relatives. That way we know she'll be safe."

Chapter Twelve

Josh spent the better part of that afternoon and evening stewing over Blanche's letter. Grateful for the fact that Felicity seemed to be avoiding him, he gave considerable thought to his various alternatives. None of them were very appealing, especially when weighed against what was happening back at the Rocking L.

Josh really wasn't very surprised that Ortega was back. What did surprise him was the vehemence of the attacks. Grady and the men had found over twenty head of cattle shot dead out on the range. Rustling was something Josh could understand-stealing valuable property for profit- but wholesale slaughter was incomprehensible.

And then there were the attacks on his men. At first the incidents had been little more than annoyances, small groups of cattle stampeded across roundup camps and supplies mysteriously missing from the chuck wagon. Then Grady's ambush had solidified suspicions into certainties. Combined with Jeremiah's warning to Candace that Ortega was out for revenge now, too, the evidence was overwhelming.

Josh knew he had to return to the ranch. The only decision he really had to make was what to do with Felicity. He had already determined that Philadelphia was a dangerous place for her, a place full of too many temptations that would lure her away from him. But Candace's warning had convinced him that, for the time being at any rate, Texas held an even greater danger for her.

He really had no choice. In spite of how much he hated the idea, in spite of how reluctant he was to give Winthrop and Maxwell full rein with Felicity, Josh would have to leave her here.

But how could he tell her without arousing her curiosity? After so adamantly insisting that she go home with him, he did not dare change his mind without a good reason. If she even suspected that Jeremiah had returned to terrorize Candace again and that the ranch and the men were in danger, Felicity would ignore any potential danger to herself and insist on returning to Texas. No, the instinct that had made him destroy Blanche's letter was the correct one. He would tell her nothing of what was happening at home. He would take a different approach.

That evening, as usual, Felicity went to her grandfather's room to say good night. When at last she came into her own room, Josh could tell instantly that her mood had not improved one bit. She was still very upset over his ultimatum, as he had expected she would be. He only hoped her anger would work in his favor.

"Did you tell your grandfather that we're leaving?" he asked in a carefully neutral voice.

Felicity hesitated, trying to get control of her temper and her tongue before responding so she would not complicate the issue. "No," she said, with equal care. "I was hoping I could talk some sense into you first."

She watched in surprise as his handsome face reflected a trace of relief. "You don't have to," he said. "I've changed my mind about your leaving."

"You've changed your mind?" she repeated incredulously. At his nod, she allowed the straining joy in her to break free. "Oh, Joshua!" she cried, rushing to him and enfolding him in a grateful embrace. "I'm so glad! I know this visit hasn't been much fun for you, but I'll make it up to you. From now on we'll do things you like and-"

"Whoa," he said, forcing what he hoped was a good-natured smile, although it felt somewhat strained. "I didn't say I was going to stay. I said you could. I still have to get back to the ranch, but there's no reason you can't stay as long as you want."

Felicity saw the strain in his smile, and she could feel the tension radiating through his body. Something was wrong. She let her arms drop to her sides and stepped away from him warily, studying his face to discover what he was thinking. "I don't want to stay here without you," she said, frowning. "I'll be so lonely…"

"Will you?" he asked, lifting his eyebrows skeptically. As long as Winthrop was around, he doubted Felicity would ever be lonely.

Felicity knew instantly what he was thinking. He always got that faintly contemptuous look on his face when Richard was around. "I'll be lonely for you," she said, letting him see the truth of that statement in her earnest expression. "No one could take your place."

For one second some strange emotion flickered in his gray eyes, but he quickly controlled it. "I'm glad to hear that," he said, not sounding very glad at all.

Was that what he was thinking, that she had feelings for Richard? How could he believe such a thing? Richard was entertaining and charming and a master of all the social skills, but he wasn't Joshua. And he never could be.

"Well, it's settled, then," Josh said, turning away. "I'll go back to Texas, and you can stay here as long as you like." With apparent nonchalance, he began to undress.

Felicity watched his economical movements as he methodically removed his clothing. Something was still wrong, very wrong. He wasn't telling her everything. Earlier in the day he had insisted she return with him, but now…

Now he seemed determined to leave her here in Richard's tender care. The thought jolted her.

Joshua disliked Richard, and more than once Felicity had suspected jealousy colored that dislike. Earlier she had been convinced Joshua wanted to take her home to get her away from her cousin and all the temptations Philadelphia offered. She had suspected Joshua's old fears were influencing him, making him concerned that she might decide to leave him for her family the way his mother had done to his father. But that argument no longer made any sense.

Now Joshua was determined to leave her here. Although her mind clamored for the reason, her instinct warned her away from it. If he still loved her, if he still wanted her, he would never return to Texas without her, especially not if that meant leaving her with Richard. Testing her theory, she said, "I don't want to stay if that makes you unhappy. I'll just explain to Grandfather that we have to leave and-"

"No!" Josh said, too quickly, but he covered his mistake with a placating smile. "Don't be silly. I know how much you want to spend some time with your grandfather. There's nothing for you to do at the ranch, anyway. It gets pretty lonely for you at roundup time. You might as well stay here and enjoy yourself."

His words sent a shiver of apprehension over her. There was nothing for her in Texas, he had said. What did he mean? Was he giving her some hidden message? If so, she did not want to understand it. "How soon do you plan to leave?" she asked, fearing his answer.

Josh thought briefly of the events mentioned in Blanche's letter. Over a week had passed since she had written it. How much more might have happened in that time? "I thought I'd catch a train tomorrow. There's no sense waiting around," he said, feigning unconcern as he moved over to turn down the bedclothes.

The weight of his words seemed to crush her heart. He was leaving tomorrow. He could not wait to get away. She watched every movement of his powerful body with hungry eyes. Clad only in the underdrawers that hid little of his masculine physique, he made a beautiful picture. A picture she would not see again after tomorrow.

Not again, never again. She knew it with an awful certainty. He was leaving her. Sometime between their argument this afternoon and now, he had finally decided that she simply wasn't worth the trouble anymore. She couldn't give him the children he wanted, and she couldn't even comfort his bed. He could conveniently leave his useless wife with her family and claim that she had preferred them to him.

Blinded by pain and fury, she moved mechanically over to the large wardrobe that held her clothes. Opening the door, she used it as a screen to conceal herself from him as she undressed and slipped into her nightdress. Although her eyes burned, no tears came. Grateful for this small mercy, she reached up and shut off the gaslight, being careful to keep her back to him so he could not see her misery.

In the darkness, she groped her way to the bed and lay down stiffly beside him, horribly aware that this might very well be the last time they shared a bed, the last time they were ever alone together. She could feel the warmth of his body radiating toward her, and although she realized the irony of the desire, she longed for the comfort she knew his arms could give.

Josh sensed her confusion and thought he understood it. She was wondering why he had changed his mind about taking her with him. Probably she had even perceived his eagerness to leave her behind and been hurt by it. He tried telling himself that he should have been glad she wanted to stay with him, but somehow the thought only made lying here beside her without touching her all the more difficult.

Although he had tried not to watch her undress and although she had been careful to shield herself, he had caught an occasional glimpse of the white skin he knew would feel like warm satin under his hands. Her sweet, feminine fragrance teased at him as he tried drawing a steadying breath. The bedclothes whispered tantalizing secrets as she shifted to a more comfortable position.

This was the last time he would be with her for weeks, perhaps months. How long until he would see her lovely face again, hear the music of her voice, or taste the honey of her kiss? How long until she would belong completely to him again? And what if Ortega and Jeremiah made good their threats? What if Josh was careless just once and a lucky bullet found its mark? He might never be able to summon her home.

Felicity shifted restlessly, aching for his touch but too proud to seek it. If he was determined to rid himself of her, if he was too much of a hypocrite to even tell her to her face that their marriage was over, she would die before she would display any weakness before him.

But what if she was wrong? What if he really was only thinking of her happiness? What if he was being noble and unselfish?

Felicity considered this for a moment and rejected it. If Joshua did want her, he would drag her back to Texas by the hair if she refused to go any other way. She was certain of that, but still something compelled her to ask, "Will you miss me?"

Josh heard the anguish in her voice, an anguish he shared. "God, yes," he answered, his voice ragged as he considered another possibility, a possibility even more horrible to contemplate than his own death. Suppose while she was here, alone and unprotected, Winthrop and Maxwell turned her against him?

Felicity's nerves quivered at the throbbing intensity of his reply. He would miss her! Perhaps she had misjudged him. Perhaps he was more noble than she thought. But even the most unselfish man alive could easily forget a wife who was little more than a companion to him. He had loved her once.

Could she awaken that love again?

Fury stirred in Josh as he pictured Winthrop with Felicity, charming her, seducing her. Josh wouldn't allow that. Couldn't allow that. She was his wife. She belonged to him.

"Joshua?"

"Ussy?"

They spoke in unison, their voices raw with suppressed need. In the next instant they came together, lips and hands frantically searching out remembered delights. Softness pressed sinew, satin stroked velvet, and needs became compulsion.

Josh knew he should not take her. He told himself that he would stop in just another moment, just another moment of the luxury of his flesh pressed to hers, of her mouth opened beneath his, of her arms clinging to his strength. But there was no way to stop, not when her hands found those secret places and stroked him into madness.

Felicity urged him on, taking his weight eagerly. How could this be wrong when it was so wonderful? Her blood sang in her veins, siren songs that promised a sweet destruction she was powerless to resist. "Love me, Joshua," she begged, desiring far more than just the physical act, but willing to settle for the blessed contentment that surged in her as he filled her.

But no sooner did she feel that surge than she heard his broken cry and felt the gentle pulsing of his release. His body went limp on hers for just a moment before he slid away, freeing her from his weight.

Still quivering from her unfulfilled desire, she did not at first realize what he was doing as he kicked free of the constraint of the underwear tangled around his legs. And then his hands were on her again, struggling with the nightdress that was bunched around her shoulders.

"Take this off," he commanded. His voice was almost grim, his hands rough.

"Why?" she asked stupidly.

And then she sensed a change in him. At her question, his touch gentled, and she could hear a teasing smile in his voice when he said, "You didn't think it was over, did you? You haven't finished… and neither have I."

With hands that fumbled, she helped him strip the nightdress from her body. This time they came together with no restraints, either physical or emotional.

Felicity strained against him feverishly as his desperation fed hers. Giving became receiving, and pleasure blossomed into a tangible force that pushed her over the brink into the deep, dark pool of ecstasy.

Josh cradled her through the aftershocks, holding himself back because they still weren't finished. Now that it was already too late, now that he had nothing more to fear from loving her, he was going to give her a memory to hold her through the lonely weeks and months ahead. A memory to seal her heart against the threat of any other man.

"Joshua, what are you…" she asked faintly when she felt his hands teasing her again.

"Shhhh," he whispered into her hair. "Don't ask stupid questions."

"But I don't think I can," she protested weakly.

But she could. And she did.

"Logan's gone," Henry Maxwell reported with satisfaction.

"Gone?" Richard repeated incredulously as he approached his uncle's bed. "What do you mean, gone?"

"I mean, he went back to Texas, just like that. He left this morning. He's probably in Baltimore by now," Henry explained.

"But why? Why would he simply leave without Felicity?" Richard asked. "He did leave without her, didn't he?" he added in sudden alarm.

Henry nodded triumphantly. "I'm not exactly sure why, though. He came to see me this morning before he left. He said there was some trouble at his ranch. He didn't say what it was, and I don't know why he told me unless he wanted me to know he wouldn't leave Felicity except for something very important, but in any case, he doesn't want her to know anything about it," Henry explained, frowning over the memory of Josh's adamance on the matter. "That suits my purpose, though."

Richard gave his uncle a considering look. "And what, exactly, is your purpose?"

Henry chuckled conspiratorially. "The same as yours, boy," he said. "I want Felicity to stay here… with us." He chuckled again at Richard's flabbergasted expression.

"I've told you before, I'm not senile yet, boy," Henry said, crossing his arms over his thin chest. "I've seen the way you look at her. I'd have to be pretty stupid not to figure out what's on your mind. And you can rest assured that I plan to leave her everything… after I've provided for Isabel, of course. The man she's married to will be quite wealthy."

"The man she's married to is Logan," Richard reminded him crossly.

"That could change, if you play your cards right," Henry said, his eyes narrowing shrewdly. "Logan has already brought her here and left her. That might easily be seen as desertion in a court of law. A good lawyer would point out that as soon as she lost his child, he sent her away."

"Something like that could be very ugly," Richard warned, but he was only testing his uncle to see just how far the old man was willing to go to keep his granddaughter.

"Not if we grease the right palms, boy. We could keep it quiet. Of course, she'd need a good reason to get a divorce. She'd have to be in love with someone else," Henry added meaningfully.

Richard smiled slowly. "She will be."

* * *

Felicity was sitting in the front parlor staring out the window at the park that was Rittenhouse Square when Richard found her. He winced slightly when he saw that she had been crying, but he forced himself to smile. "I'm sorry I missed saying goodby to Joshua," he lied.

"I'm sure he was sorry he didn't get to see you before he left, too," Felicity lied back, listlessly returning her gaze to the park, where the nannies were sunning their tiny charges in elaborate baby buggies. She usually avoided this view because of the heartache the sight of the happy, living infants caused her. But today she felt some masochistic urge to plumb the depths of her pain, as if to test her capacity for suffering. With Joshua gone, how could she possibly feel any worse?

"You are still planning to go to the concert with me tonight, aren't you?" Richard inquired cheerfully.

"What concert?" Felicity asked with little interest, still watching the prams with their precious burdens.

"You remember," he prodded. "The Women's Centennial Committee is putting on one of their concerts at the Edwin Forrest mansion. I believe it's to be a choral concert tonight. You enjoy those so much," he reminded her.

"I don't know…" she said vaguely.

"But you can't just sit here by the window moping," Richard protested. "He's not coming back."

Stung, Felicity whirled to face Richard. She searched his beautiful face for some hint of a deeper meaning to his words, but she found none. He was simply warning her that Joshua was on his way to Texas and would not be returning before the concert tonight. And he was right. She was foolish to stand here by the window as if she expected to see her husband coming down the street at any moment.

"There will be lots of people at the concert whom you know. Some of the ladies are involved with the plans for the Exposition. I told you there's going to be a Women's Pavilion, didn't I? I'm sure they could use your help on a committee," Richard assured her.

"They could?" Felicity asked, unconvinced.

"Certainly," Richard said enthusiastically. "Of course, you don't have to get involved if you don't want to, but just think, you'd be a part of history. You don't want to pass up an opportunity to help with such an important international event, do you?"

"Well, I…" Felicity began, not entirely certain whether she would or not, but Richard interrupted her.

"At least say you'll go to the concert tonight. I can't stand the thought of you sitting here all alone."

"All right," she agreed, realizing how little the idea of being alone appealed to her.

She enjoyed the concert every bit as much as Richard had predicted,.and afterward Richard introduced her to the conductor, Theodore Thomas. She also saw many people to whom she had been introduced previously and who made a point of seeking her out. Also as Richard had predicted, she received several invitations to help with the Exposition, to which she gave vague replies. She was struggling with the uneasy impression that all these people expected her to remain in Philadelphia indefinitely. Not one of them inquired about Joshua's whereabouts.

After the concert, Richard escorted her home. As was his custom, he came inside with her. He was behaving just the way he always did when he had taken her and Joshua out somewhere, except that Joshua was no longer with them. Suddenly she felt uneasy as Bellwood conducted them to the front parlor and closed the door behind them, creating an air of intimacy that disturbed her. Something was wrong, something more than just the fact that Joshua was no longer here.

"Would you like some sherry?" Richard asked. Was his smile more friendly than usual, or was it just her imagination?

"Yes, please," she said, hoping that by following what had become a familiar ritual, she could overcome her unease.

Felicity moved self-consciously over to the fire and held out her hands to warm them while Richard searched in an ornate cabinet until he located the bottle of sherry and poured two glasses.

She accepted the one he offered, but when she would have taken a sip, he said, "First, a toast: To my beautiful cousin." As he clinked his delicate cordial glass to hers, she reflected that this was a toast she, too, could have given to her cousin. Richard's elegant face seemed almost to glow with a warmth that had nothing to do with the fire, and his dark eyes glittered down into hers with some secret message she was afraid to decode.

What was happening, she wondered frantically, too disturbed to even taste the sweet liqueur. There was something far too intimate about this scene.

"You haven't drunk to my toast," he chided gently, his voice pouring over her like warm honey.

"I think that would be immodest of me," she replied, moving quickly away from him toward the relative safety of a nearby sofa. "You can't expect a woman to drink to her own beauty," she added with a smile to lighten the mood as she sank down on the sofa in a billow of skirts.

She was wearing one of Mademoiselle Fabian's creations, a confection of violet silk. Richard paused one moment to admire the picture she made sitting there before joining her. Sensing her skittishness, he did not sit as close as he desired, but left a discreet space between them. "Joshua left rather suddenly, didn't he?" he said as if the thought had just occurred to him, although he had been planning this conversation all evening. "I hope there's nothing wrong."

"Oh, no," Felicity hastily assured him, trying not to think how painful such an admission was. "He… he had to start the spring roundup. That's when they gather up all the calves that have been born over the winter and brand them. Then they separate out the cattle they want to sell this year."

"That doesn't sound very complicated," Richard remarked. "I would think his men could get along without him for a while. But then, he didn't seem to be enjoying his visit here. Perhaps he was glad for an excuse to get back home," he mused.

Alarmed at hearing her own thoughts spoken aloud, Felicity jumped up, responding to some primitive urge to flee. But of course she couldn't actually run away. She settled for walking around the room and changing the subject. "Are you really going to take me to a wild West show tomorrow?" she asked with false enthusiasm.

Richard watched her drain her glass in one gulp and stifled a satisfied grin. She already had doubts about her husband's departure. Logan was a fool for not telling her his real reason for leaving. She was hurt now, but Richard was only too willing to comfort her.

"Yes, Buffalo Bill is putting on a show at the American Theater. It's called 'Scouts of the Plains.' He even has Kit Carson, Jr., in the cast. I hear it's quite exciting. I believe they even have an authentic Indian attack. Do you think it will make you too homesick?" he asked solicitously.

"Homesick?" she scoffed playfully. "My home has never been attacked by Indians." For one instant she remembered the day Joshua had shown her the chinks in the adobe of that home where Comanche arrows had struck during an attack long ago. She could almost feel his strong fingers guiding her hand over the jagged marks. Then, with equal clarity, she recalled the way those strong fingers had moved over her flesh last night, awakening long-dormant passions. The fulfillment he had given her had barely touched the craving he had aroused. And now he was gone. She trembled slightly.

"Felicity? Is something wrong?" Richard asked, genuinely concerned. Her face had gone pale.

"No, of course not," she said, dragging herself back to the present and managing to smile again. "I think the show should be great fun. I can hardly wait."

But Richard knew that her smile was forced. Had he pushed her too hard? He only wanted her to doubt, not to grow morose. "Are you tired? Perhaps I should go now," he offered.

Tired? Yes, she was tired, but the thought of going upstairs to the bed where Joshua had made love to her until almost dawn this morning was appalling. "No, I'm fine. Stay awhile. Would you like some more sherry?"

"Yes, please," he said, rising and following her to the cabinet, where the decanter still sat.

She filled both their glasses. "Another toast," she announced with false gaiety. "To Buffalo Bill and the wild West." She clinked Richard's glass and emptied her own. Maybe if she drank enough of this stuff, her memories would fade and the bed upstairs would not seem so empty.

This time it was Richard who forgot to drink. He studied her face, the strained smile and the pain-filled eyes. For one instant he actually hated Logan for leaving her, for causing her such anguish. But only for an instant. She needed comfort now, and he was the person to give it. He removed the glass from her unresisting fingers and set it and his still-full one back on the cabinet.

"Felicity, I think it's time I went home," he said softly, capturing her puzzled gaze with his own.

She wanted to protest, to ask him to stay, but something in his eyes stopped her. His eyes were brown, the color of the sweet chocolate some thoughtful servant placed on her pillow every night. So engrossed was she in this thought that she hardly noticed when he took her hands in his.

"Sleep well, lovely one," he whispered, and before she knew what was happening, he bent and touched his mouth to hers.

His lips were soft, and warm, and sweet from the sherry, sweet but not chocolate, she noted distractedly in the moment before sanity returned and she jerked away from him.

"Richard!" she cried, lifting the back of her hand to cover her mouth.

She looked aghast, but Richard had expected just such a reaction. He gave her an amazed little laugh, as if he were surprised she had taken offense. "It was just a friendly kiss between cousins. I told you, we're kissing cousins. You remember that, don't you?"

"You mustn't ever do that again, Richard," she said, horrified because for just the barest second she had found the kiss a pleasant comfort against her terrible sense of loss.

He managed to look abashed. "I certainly won't if it disturbs you so much," he promised. "I only thought you might be feeling neglected because Joshua left you and…" He stopped at the sound of her anguished cry, genuinely sorry to have caused her more pain, but knowing he would have to cause her more still if he was to succeed.

"Please, Richard, I… I think you'd better go now," she said, alarmed to discover she was trembling. But she was far too upset to decide whether the trembling was caused by Richard's kiss or by his reminder of Joshua's hasty departure.

"Yes, yes, of course," Richard quickly agreed, but when he tried to take her hand again, she shrank from his touch. He settled for a formal bow as he took his leave.

Felicity allowed herself one more glass of sherry before summoning a maid to help her undress. At least she would not have to enter the bedroom alone, she reasoned. But the girl was much too quick in her ministrations, and too soon Felicity found herself alone in the dark, curled up under the covers of the big bed.

Her heart still seemed to beat too quickly, and she shivered against the silken sheets, every nerve quivering with the need to be touched. How could Richard's kiss have caused such a reaction? she wondered miserably. The very thought was wicked and sinful, especially when it wasn't Richard's touch she longed for at all.

No, she realized sadly, it was Joshua's touch she wanted. Her reaction to Richard was simply a result of her last night with her husband. She shivered again and surrendered at last to the relief of tears. She would have to be very careful. Richard was an attractive man, and he cared for her very much. If she gave him any encouragement at all, something terrible might happen, something terrible that they would both regret.

"Oh, Joshua," she sobbed, "why did you do this to me?"

Josh raised his hand in greeting when he caught sight ol Grady waiting for him in the ranch yard. He kicked his rented mount into a trot to cover more quickly the final distance to his home. He hadn't notified anyone of his arrival, just in case some of Ortega's spies were waiting for that information. When the stage had left him at Prospect this morning, he had gotten a horse from the livery stable and headed home.

Home. Josh glanced around the ranch with a practiced eye, looking for any sign that something was out of the ordinary, but he saw nothing unusual. Nothing, that is, except for the sling on Grady's arm. And the fact that Felicity would not be there to greet him.

"Welcome home, boss," Grady said when Josh reined up beside him. "I'm sorry I had to send for you. I hated like hell to ruin your visit and all…"

"That's all right," Josh reassured him, swinging down from his horse. "Just tell me what's been happening."

As Josh unsaddled, Grady filled him in on the events that had occurred since his own ambush.

"… and then yesterday we found ten calves with their throats cut," Grady finished, reluctantly giving Josh the last in a long list of atrocities.

Josh swore. "That just doesn't sound like Ortega. The man has never been vicious," he protested.

But Grady shook his head. "We've been hearing all kinds of rumors. Seems like he almost died last spring when you shot him, and he's out for revenge. From the things he's been doing around here, he must be plumb loco."

Josh had to agree, if it was indeed Ortega who was responsible for these acts. Unfortunately, he also had another enemy who might well hate him enough to destroy his property in such a cruel manner. "Has anybody seen that Jeremiah fellow around?" he asked.

"No, but…" Grady hesitated a moment, reluctant to mention something that might be painful to Josh. "Candace finally told me that he came to see her. She said you already knew about it."

"Yeah, Blanche put it in the letter," Josh reported as the two men started toward the house, where Josh knew he would find Candace.

Candace was waiting for him, and Josh stopped short at the sight of her. How could she possibly have aged so much in the few short weeks he had been gone? The face he had seen every day of his life had gone from ageless to old in a month's time.

"Oh, Mr. Josh," she cried, tears spilling down her ebony cheeks. "I'm so sorry!"

"There, now, it's not your fault," he murmured, taking her trembling body in his arms. Had she always been this thin? he wondered as he led her over to the settee and made her sit down. He motioned to Grady to leave them alone, and then, sitting beside her, he put his arm over her shoulders and soothed her as best he could until at last she quieted.

"I should never have made you promise," she said, wiping the tears from her face with the sleeve of her dress. "If you'd killed him then-"

"Hush, you don't mean that," he chastened. "He's your son! And besides, we don't know that he's involved in what's been happening."

"But he's evil, Mr. Josh, all filled up with hate. You should have heard the things he said about you and Miss Felicity. Mrs. Delano thought maybe he was only trying to scare me, but she didn't see his eyes. He hates you so…" Candace drew a shuddering breath. "And he told me he was going to join up with Ortega again and help him ruin you. And it's all my fault."

"Candace, it is not your fault," Josh insisted.

"Yes, it is," she insisted right back. "If I'd gone home with your mother like she wanted me to, this never would have happened…"

"We don't know that," Josh said in exasperation, fighting an urge to try to shake some sense into her. Why was she so determined to take all the blame for something that was clearly not her fault? "What's done is done. We can't go back and change it now, anyway. I don't want to hear another word about it. Do you understand?"

She nodded miserably. "And I'm sorry you had to leave Miss Felicity back there…"

"She's having the time of her life," Josh assured her, although the words almost stuck in his throat.

"But she'll miss you…" Candace tried.

"She'll be fine," Josh said, knowing only too well how true his words were. "Now, how about rustling me up something to eat? My stomach is starting to gnaw on my backbone," he added with a forced smile.

"Right away," she sniffed, rising from the settee.

Josh watched her go with a frown, noticing for the first time the way her proud shoulders had begun to stoop. When had that started? And why had he never noticed it until now?

The next day Josh insisted on going out to see the murdered calves, although Grady and the men strongly objected. They argued that Ortega would love an opportunity to take a potshot at Josh, but Josh ignored their warnings. As it turned out, no one took a potshot at him, on that day or on any of the days that followed. In fact, all the previous harassment ceased abruptly.

Too abruptly, everyone agreed as the tension mounted hourly. Something big was about to happen, and the strain of waiting began to take its toll on all the men. They went about their duties with every sense alert for trouble, but still nothing happened. The days dragged into weeks, and the weeks became a month. The bluebonnets turned the grass into an indigo carpet, heralding the formal beginning of summer. And still no sign of Ortega. Or Jeremiah Logan.

Felicity wrote faithfully, and although her letters arrived sporadically and sometimes two together, Josh received a clear picture of her life in Philadelphia. Richard took her to a concert. Richard took her to a play. Richard took her to see Buffalo Bill. Richard took her to the park. Her grandfather bought her more new clothes and gave her some jewelry that had belonged to her grandmother.

Oh, she said she missed him and hoped the roundup was going well, too, but that was just common politeness. Although she signed herself "your loving wife," she never mentioned coming home. Josh tried not to torture himself about it at night when he lay alone in the big bed they had once shared. He told himself that as soon as this mess with Ortega straightened out, he would summon her home. If she refused, he would simply return to Philadelphia and fetch her. Then they would be able to pick up the pieces of their lives and start over.

Meanwhile, he could not bring himself to reply to her letters. He sat down at least a dozen times to write, but there was nothing to say. He dared not mention the trouble with Ortega, and he had no other news. He also dared not mention how much he missed her and wanted her here with him for fear she might actually come. Although it was his fondest wish, he refused to put her in danger.

The perils she faced in Philadelphia, while just as real, were far less hazardous than the ones awaiting her in Texas. And whatever Winthrop might plot, whatever Maxwell might scheme, Felicity was still Josh's wife. She belonged to him, and no amount of money would ever change that fact. But such thoughts were cold comfort to him as he waited day after day for Ortega's next move.

Felicity looked up in surprise when Bellwood informed her that her grandfather wanted her to come to his room and meet someone. Normally she only visited her grandfather in the afternoon, when she either read to him or the two of them just talked. During those times, he had told her many things about her mother and himself, and she in turn had filled him in on the part of her life he had missed.

As Felicity hurried up the stairs in response to this unusual summons, she reflected on how the afternoon visits with him and the activities that Richard planned for her had helped pass the lonely days without Joshua. Unfortunately, nothing could help her with the lonely nights. And both the days and nights seemed to be getting longer as each mail failed to bring her a letter from her husband. At first she had excused him, remembering how busy he would be with the roundup, but no excuse could explain why no letter had come after all these weeks.

Sometimes she became angry and swore she would not write another line to him until he responded. Then she would decide it was better to torment him with tales of her glamorous life in Philadelphia, so she would write page after page. When these tales still brought no response, she would grow frightened. What if her earlier fears proved true? What if he really had decided he no longer wanted her as his wife? Had he left her here for good? Was this silence his way of telling her their marriage was over?

Sighing over that thought, she stopped outside her grandfather's bedroom and knocked. "Come in, child."

Maxwell called, and she did.

Her grandfather's visitor was a man about her grandfather's age who still bore the air of authority Maxwell must surely have had before his illness.

"Felicity, may I present my good friend, Alexander Evans?" Maxwell said. "Alex, this is my granddaughter, Mrs. Logan."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Logan," Evans said, taking the hand she offered. "I've been looking forward to this moment ever since I first saw your work."

"My work?" Felicity echoed, giving her grandfather a puzzled look.

"Yes, my dear," her grandfather confirmed. "You see, when I first saw your photographs, I was quite impressed, but since I am no expert, I asked the opinion of one who is. Alex here helped organize the Philadelphia Photographic Society. He's a photographer himself."

Felicity smiled, delighted to discover a kindred soul, but before she could respond, Evans contradicted the assessment. "I'm only an amateur compared to you, Mrs. Logan. I know Henry didn't tell you, but he gave me your photographs to take to the last meeting of the Photographic Society. The gentlemen there were quite impressed."

"Grandfather!" Felicity chastened him, not certain whether she was angry or not but certainly displeased that he had taken such a step without consulting her. "You shouldn't have done that."

"My granddaughter is becomingly modest," Maxwell said by way of excuse for Felicity's reaction.

"I am justifiably modest," she corrected him, giving Mr. Evans an apologetic smile. "You are very kind to flatter me, but I know my work is only passable…"

"Passable?" Evans repeated, obviously astounded. "Do you mean to tell me that you really don't know how much talent you have?"

Felicity's face mirrored his astonishment. "Photography is a craft. It doesn't require talent, not the way painting and sculpture and things like that do," she said, repeating the theories she had heard her father recite.

But Alex Evans was shaking his head. "That's what painters would have us think, but only because they're afraid of the competition. Of course, your statement is true of many photographers who fritter away their lives simply taking pictures, but for a select few-like you, Mrs. Logan-the theory simply does not hold true. Can't you see for yourself the difference between your own work and that of others?" he asked.

Felicity started to protest, a natural reaction ingrained in her from birth. It was wrong to put herself forward or to exhibit any pride in her accomplishments. But the truth of Mr. Evans's words stopped her. She had already recognized that her work was good, even though her father had given her scant praise. She knew Caleb Storm had only been afraid she would grow proud. He often quoted the Scripture verse about pride going before a fall and a haughty spirit before destruction as an admonition.

But she did know her work was good, and here was someone well qualified to judge it who confirmed that opinion. She smiled gratefully. "As Grandfather said, I'm modest," she excused herself.

"What a waste of energy," Evans said, smiling back. "The reason that I'm here today is to ask your permission to display your work in the Photography Pavilion at the Centennial Exposition."

"What!" Felicity cried, incredulous. As confident as she was about her work, she had never dreamed it deserved such an honor. "Now you really are flattering me."

"Not at all," Evans replied. "I am on the selection committee, and the other members agree that your work merits inclusion in the display."

"Oh, Grandfather," Felicity said in frustration, turning to the old man. She knew he would understand her feelings, how all her training rebelled at such a public show of what was a very private pleasure for her.

Maxwell understood, but he did not let that influence him. "It would be very selfish of you to refuse Alex's offer."

"Selfish?" Felicity could not follow his logic.

"Yes, just think how proud Josh will be of you. And think of the future. Your children and grandchildren can brag that your work appeared at the Exposition," Henry explained persuasively.

Felicity stared at him in shock. Her children? How could he say such a thing? But then she remembered that he did not know the details of her baby's death. All she had told him was that the baby was stillborn. Her grandfather would naturally assume that she would have other children. Even she herself had not yet given up hope completely. But what if Joshua's predictions were true? What if Caleb Joshua was the only child she would ever produce? What then would she leave behind her when her life came to an end? The answer was ridiculously simple: her pictures. For now, at least, they were her babies, the only thing she could produce of lasting value.

Feeling an unfamiliar surge of determination, Felicity turned back to Mr. Evans, who seemed a little surprised at the sudden change in her. "Thank you for your offer, Mr. Evans. I would be honored to have my pictures displayed in the Photography Pavilion."

Mr. Evans was absurdly grateful, at least to Felicity's mind. After he left, her grandfather was, too.

"Thank you for humoring me, my dear," he said. "I know how difficult it was for you to agree."

But she smiled reassuringly. "I simply decided you were right. Pride is a sin, but it's a sin to hide your light under a bushel, too."

Maxwell thought it best not to comment on that remark. Instead he said, "I suppose this means you'll stay at least until the Exposition opens. You'll have to be here to receive your accolades."

Her smile flickered only slightly. "If there are any accolades," she replied, but she was really thinking about the other part of his statement, the part about her staying until May. It was certainly a reasonable expectation. What disturbed her was the thought that if Joshua did not want her back, she would be staying long past May.

How happy her grandfather would be if that was the case. He would gladly keep her here. He had often mentioned wistfully that he wished he could do so. And Richard, too, would be pleased. More than pleased, she realized sadly. Although he had not tried to kiss her again, he had managed to make his feelings for her obvious nonetheless. He would be delighted to take Joshua's place in her life.

The problem was that no one could ever take Joshua's place.

"I'd better go now so you can get some rest," she said, eager to escape her grandfather's perceptive gaze. He was watching her as if he could read her thoughts.

He made an impatient noise. "There'll be time enough for rest when I'm dead. Right now I have a chance to look at the prettiest young woman in this city, and I'm going to take it. Sit down and we'll talk for a while."

Felicity frowned at the reference to his death, a reference he made rather too frequently for her peace of mind. "Dr. Lowell said that if you take care of yourself, you can live a long time," she reminded him.

"Pshaw, a few months one way or the other won't make that much difference to a man my age. I say, enjoy the time you've got. Better to live a short while and have fun than a long time and die of boredom," he told her with a wink that brought a grudging smile back to her mouth. She had come to love him very much in the few weeks she had known him, and the thought of his death disturbed her greatly, although she knew he did not want her to show it.

"In fact," he continued thoughtfully, adjusting the bedclothes with the air of one who has an important announcement to make, "I've been thinking about having a party."

"A party!" Felicity echoed, thoroughly shocked. How did he think he could host a party from his bed?

"Well, I wouldn't attend, of course, but Richard could serve as host," he explained, anticipating her objections. "And Isabel can muddle through as hostess if you stand beside her and make sure she doesn't faint," he added with a wink. "I want you to be introduced into Philadelphia society properly."

"But there's no need to introduce me into society," Felicity assured him quickly, once again fighting the sudden fear that she might indeed find herself a permanent resident of this fair city.

He frowned at that but decided not to pursue the argument. Instead he offered one against which she could make no protest. "And I'd like to hear music in this old house once more before I die."

Felicity frowned again at the mention of his death, but she could not object to his request. "If you want to have a party, I'm sure Richard would be glad to host it for you." Of that much she was certain. "And I'll help Isabel any way I can."

"Good," he said, grinning slyly. "And we can use the occasion to announce that your pictures will be displayed at the Exposition."

"You wouldn't dare!" Felicity cried, horrified at the very thought of having such a fuss made over her. Having the party in her honor was already more than she should allow.

"We'll talk about it later," he conceded, wisely not pressing her. She had already given him more than he had expected today. If he did not mention this again, she would think he had forgotten. "Now, why don't you read to me awhile?" he suggested with an innocent smile.

Felicity gave him a reproving glance and picked up the book lying on the bedside table. She took her customary chair beside the bed, but before she could begin reading, a discreet knock at the door interrupted her. It was Bellwood, who announced that Dr. Strong was here to see Mr. Maxwell.

"Well, send him right in," Henry exclaimed with a pleased smile.

"A new doctor?" Felicity inquired when Bellwood stepped out to summon the guest.

"An old friend," Henry said, still smiling.

A moment later, a stocky, middle-aged man with graying hair and muttonchop whiskers burst into the room and greeted Henry boisterously.

"How did you find Paris, Ezra?" Henry asked when he had returned the greeting.

"With very little difficulty," Ezra Strong replied, grinning slyly. "The trains stop there now, you know."

"Humph, thanks to me," Henry replied huffily.

Ezra chuckled, but he had lost interest in the banter. Instead, he was looking intently at Henry's face. "You're looking awfully chipper for a man who's supposed to be at death's door, Henry," he remarked after a moment. "How have you been feeling lately?"

"Always the doctor," Henry muttered in good-natured complaint. "I've been very well indeed, and it's because I've had such good nursing care." He gestured toward Felicity, who had risen from her chair and now stood beside the bed.

"By heaven," Dr. Strong exclaimed, noticing Felicity for the first time. "I'd look a lot better, too, if I got to see that face every day. Where'd you ever find her?"

"She's my granddaughter, you old fool," Henry said.

Dr. Strong's eyes widened in amazement. "Not little Felicity? You found her? By God, no wonder you look so much better." Dr. Strong hurried around to the other side of the bed and took Felicity's hand. "Ezra Strong, at your service, Miss Storm. It does my heart good to see you here at last, and I know this old coot feels exactly the same way."

"Old coot!" Henry protested in mock outrage.

"Thank you, Dr. Strong. But my name is Felicity Logan now. I'm married," Felicity told him, smiling politely even though mention of her marriage caused her a slight pang. Her grandfather's explanation caused her another.

"Her husband went back to Texas, but she's spending some time here with me, brightening my last days," Henry said.

"Well, whatever, we're glad you're here," Dr. Strong said before turning his shrewd glance back to Henry. "And speaking of 'last days,' how have you been feeling lately?"

"Too good to be stuck in this bed all the time," Henry grumbled.

Dr. Strong reached over and took Henry's wrist in one hand while he pulled a large gold pocket watch from his vest with the other. Felicity watched in fascination as the doctor took her grandfather's pulse. "Hmmmm," he said, examining Henry's fingertips before dropping his wrist and replacing the watch. Then he pulled down one of Henry's lower eyelids and studied the color of the skin revealed there. "Hmmmm," he said again.

"Quit playing doctor and tell me about your trip to France, Ezra," Henry ordered, jerking away from the doctor's grasp. "He went over there for his daughter's wedding," he explained to Felicity. "She married a count."

"How exciting," Felicity exclaimed, glad for something to turn her thoughts away from her grandfather's health and her troubled marriage. "Do tell us all about it."

"In a while. First I think I'll examine your grandfather," Dr, Strong said, moving toward the door.

"Examine me? Whatever for?" Henry shot Felicity a puzzled look, but she was as puzzled as he.

"Because I think you may have gone and gotten well while I was out of the country," Ezra announced as he opened the bedroom door and stuck his head out into the hall. "Bellwood! Run next door and tell them to give you my black bag, will you? There's a good fellow." Then he turned and walked back over to the bed. Seeing Felicity's confusion, he explained, "I live right next door. Henry built this house so he'd have a doctor at his beck and call."

"What a liar you are, Strong," Henry chided him. "You came here after I did and only so you'd have a rich patient close by whenever you needed money."

Dr. Strong found that remark hilarious, and while he was laughing, the import of his earlier words finally registered with Felicity. "Do you really think Grandfather is getting better?" she asked.

The doctor sobered immediately. "I won't know until I examine him, of course, but I can say for sure that your presence has improved his disposition. Why, he used to be downright nasty!"

That, Felicity realized, was another joke, but when she smiled, her smile was in appreciation for the small hope he had given her. In a few minutes the doctor's bag arrived, and Felicity went out into the hall to await the verdict.

"Well, how much longer do I have, Ezra?" Henry asked resignedly when his friend had completed his examination.

Dr. Strong finished putting his instruments back in his case before he replied. "What does Lowell say?"

"Not much, but I don't think he holds out any hope for me. He as much as told me that if I got out of bed again, I'd be signing my own death warrant," Henry grumbled.

Dr. Strong shook his head. "I hate to contradict a colleague, but I think the best thing you could do is get out of this bed."

"Trying to get rid of me, Ezra?" Henry asked with a sardonic grin.

"No, I just happen to think that, in your case at least, Lowell has made a mistake in his diagnosis."

"But you said he was the best!" Henry protested.

"He is the best, in his field. That's why I recommended him when I thought your problem was with your heart. Now I think we both made a mistake. I'm starting to think that spell you had wasn't your heart at all, or if it was, you've made a complete recovery. I think you had a much more serious problem in your mind."

"In my brain?" Henry asked in alarm.

"No, of course not," Ezra assured him hastily. "I said your 'mind.' I think you made yourself sick because you couldn't find that little girl out there," he said, gesturing toward the hallway, where Felicity waited. "Now that she's here, you aren't sick anymore… or at least you won't be if you get out of that bed before you waste away to nothing."

Henry stared at him for a long moment as he digested this last piece of advice. "Ezra, hand me my pants," he ordered, throwing back the bedclothes.

A few minutes later Dr. Strong found Felicity out in the hall and escorted her to the downstairs parlor, where they could talk in privacy. He explained his theory for her grandfather's illness.

"It's hard to believe that a person could get so sick just from being sad," she said when he had finished.

"The human mind is a powerful force, Mrs. Logan. Any doctor will tell you that," Dr. Strong said. "I'll have two patients, both with the same problem. I treat them both exactly the same way. One dies and one recovers to live an active, healthy life. What makes the difference?' He shrugged. "Some call it 'the will to live." That's as good a name as any. I think Henry lost his will to live when he couldn't find you, and I fully believe that if you hadn't shown up when you did, he'd be dead by now."

Breathing a silent prayer of thanks, Felicity sniffed back the tears of relief that flooded her eyes. "How did you get so smart, Dr. Strong?" she asked with a wavering smile.

He smiled back. "There was a doctor here in Philadelphia who did research on the subject. He's dead now, but I was lucky enough to have studied under him. He was convinced that you could actually talk patients into getting well. In fact, he used to tell a story about a female patient of his who refused to get up out of bed even after she was completely well. I guess she decided she liked being an invalid. The doctor warned her that if she didn't get out of that bed, he was going to get in there with her. She didn't believe him until he started to get undressed. By the time he removed his trousers, she was fully recovered and out of bed!"

Knowing she should have been shocked by such a story, Felicity still could not help the laughter that bubbled out of her.

Watching her appreciatively, Dr. Strong said, "You really are a lovely girl. Henry is lucky to have found you."

"I'm lucky to have found him, too," she replied. "And he's lucky to have such a good doctor for a friend."

"Well, remember, this is only a theory. I've told him to take it very easy at first. He'll be weak from having been in bed all these months. He's not to leave his room for at least a week. I'll watch him closely for signs of a relapse, and you'll have to make sure he doesn't overdo."

"I will," she promised.

"And he said something about having a party for you. I told him he could attend for a little while, but no dancing!"

"No dancing," Felicity repeated obediently, but her thoughts were already faraway, on the letter she would write to Joshua. She would tell him the good news about her grandfather, and about her pictures being displayed at the Centennial, and she would tell him about the party, too. Surely the news that a fully recovered Henry Maxwell was formally introducing his granddaughter to Philadelphia society would inspire him to action. If not, the news about her photographs would at least salvage her pride.

Josh opened his eyes and stared into the darkness, cursing softly at his inability to sleep. Here it was, the middle of the night, hours until dawn, and he was wide awake. As the weeks had passed with no sign of Ortega, Josh had found himself sleepless more nights than he cared to remember. And, of course, he was worried about Felicity, too.

Their separation had now lasted over six weeks, and he had not heard from her in the last two, not since the letter that had informed him of her grandfather's recovery. Although she and Josh had set no specific time for her return, Josh had always expected her to insist on staying as long as her grandfather stayed alive. Now it seemed he might live for a good long time.

Not only was Maxwell recovered, but he was having some sort of shindig for her, too, a party in her honor, to introduce her to all the right people. She made it sound like she had decided to settle in for life. When Maxwell's friends saw her pictures and realized how talented she was, they'd probably make her Queen of the May, too. She would certainly have no reason to even want to come home.

She hadn't mentioned anything about coming home, either, and to make matters worse, she had not written since. Letters sometimes got lost, never reaching their destinations, of course, but two weeks had passed without a word. For the first month of their separation, he had heard from her several times a week. The silence could mean only one thing: She had stopped writing.

Josh rolled over in disgust, punching his pillow into what he hoped would be a more comfortable shape, but nothing could ease his frustration. The fact that she had stopped writing was a danger sign, he knew, but there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. He couldn't leave the ranch, not with Ortega and Jeremiah lurking out there somewhere just waiting for the right opportunity to strike. And he couldn't summon her home for the very same reasons. All he could do was wait.

Out in her cabin, Candace, too, was having trouble sleeping. Lately, her nights had been plagued by nightmares that included Joshua and her son, nightmares that involved blood and death and left her gasping, drenched in a cold sweat.

Another of these nightmares had awakened her tonight, and as she lay shivering in the darkness, a hand clamped over her mouth, stifling the scream that rose in her throat.

"Not a sound, old woman," her son's voice rasped in her ear. "Not one sound," he repeated, pressing the barrel of a pistol to her head. "Get up now, real slow," he said, removing his hand from her mouth and using it to urge her out of the bed and onto her feet.

He was using his bad hand to help her, she realized in some distant part of her brain. "What do you want this time?" she asked, keeping her voice low so she wouldn't anger him.

"Tonight's the night," he said grimly. "The night I pay the Logans back for what I owe them."

"What are you going to do?" she demanded, trembling in terror and thanking God that Felicity, at least, was out of danger.

"Don't worry, you'll see it all," he assured her, propelling her toward the cabin door. "I want you with me so you'll see everything."

Josh had been staring at the ceiling for a long time when he noticed the peculiar light. Could it be dawn already? he wondered, glancing toward the window. But it wasn't the steady light of dawn. It was the flickering glow of flames that brightened the room.

In an instant he was at the window, just in time to see the interior of the barn explode into flames. Instinct told him to call for help, and almost before the thought formed in his mind, his hands jerked up the partially opened sash. He was just about to holler to waken his cowboys when he saw the silhouette of a man moving furtively away from the burning barn.

Not toward the barn, as one of his own men would do, and not toward the bunkhouse to summon the rest of the men, but away and quickly, so as not to be seen. Someone had set the fire, and Josh had a pretty good idea who it was.

"Grady!" he called, his voice echoing across the empty ranch yard. "Grady! Wake up!" In a few seconds he heard men shouting as those awakened by his call noticed the light from the fire and aroused the others. The instant the first figure appeared at the bunkhouse door, however, Josh called out again.

"Don't come out! Stay where you are! It's a trap!" No sooner had his warning stopped the flow of men which had bottlenecked at the bunkhouse door than a shot rang out. Josh heard it thunk into the wood beside the window where he stood. He ducked instinctively and moved away from the window.

Snatching his pants and hastily pulling them on, he ran into the parlor and pulled a rifle off the gun rack. Checking the loads, he raced to the front window and hauled it open as the whine of more bullets echoed outside. He took a minute to survey the situation before taking aim.

From the flashes of gunpowder, he could tell that his men had heeded his advice and remained inside the bunkhouse. Thank God he had seen the arsonist. Under normal circumstances, the first person to notice the fire would have summoned every man on the place to fight it. Within a minute or two, all his men would have been standing in the yard, highlighted by the flames into perfect targets for Ortega's men to shoot down at will.

Now it was Ortega's men who made good targets as they moved around the eerily lit yard to positions of safety from which they could shoot into the bunkhouse. Josh took careful aim and fired at one stealthily moving figure. The figure cried out and dropped, but scrambled away before Josh had a second chance at him.

From his isolated position, Josh attracted very few shots himself, and he managed to get off several of his own before a noise behind him alerted him to a very present danger.

"Josh! Look out!" Candace cried, but as Josh jerked around to discover the source of the danger, all he saw was Candace flying toward him. He had just enough time to drop his rifle and raise his hands to catch her as she collided with him. In the next instant her weight had carried them both to the floor, but almost as soon as they hit, Candace was frantically fighting free of him so he could rise again. "He's here! He wants to kill you!" she was saying, her voice shrill with hysteria.

"Damn you, old woman!" Jeremiah shouted.

Josh struggled for a moment with Candace's clinging hands before he realized she did not want to let him go. She was shielding him with her own body. "Stop it, Candace," he ordered, using his superior strength to break her grip and set her aside. What he saw when he did made his blood run cold.

Jeremiah stood in the middle of the room, plainly visible in the brilliant light from the fire that now burned almost as brightly as day. He held a Colt.45 in his left hand, and it was pointed straight at Josh's heart. Josh glanced down to where his own rifle lay on the floor and calculated his chances of reaching it before Jeremiah's bullet stopped him.

"Don't try it, Logan," Jeremiah warned.

The tone of Jeremiah's voice pulled Josh's attention back to his half-brother. Something was not quite right, and when Josh had studied Jeremiah for another few seconds, he realized what it was. The man was trembling.

"Don't move, Logan!" he ordered again, and Josh heard the edge of panic in his voice.

But why should he be panicking? He had the gun and the upper hand. All he had to do was pull the trigger, and his revenge would be complete. Unless… unless he had suddenly realized he no longer wanted revenge.

Gambling with what he knew might very well be his own and Candace's lives, he decided to play his hunch. "Setting the barn on fire, that was a clever plan. Was that your idea, Jeremiah?" Josh asked, making his voice sound as normal as possible under the circumstances.

"Yeah, that's right, it was my idea," he replied warily. His Colt wavered slightly, but he righted it immediately.

"You're a smart fellow," Josh admitted, "but then, all us Logans are smart."

Jeremiah stiffened at that, but made no comment, so Josh went on.

"I guess everything worked out just the way you wanted it, too. I'm here, and your mother," Josh said, his voice still unnaturally calm. "I'm only sorry my wife is still in Philadelphia. I understand you had some special plans for her," he added in a faintly accusing tone.

Jeremiah's face twisted in rage. "The hell with her!" he snapped. "I wouldn't have any white woman, not on a bet!"

Josh started at the vehemence of his tone. "That's not what I heard," he pressed, compelled to explore the truth of this statement. "The sheriff told me that you'd had a white woman back East-"

"And you believed him," Jeremiah interrupted. This time when his gun wavered, pointing now toward the floor, he did not even notice. "Of course you did; they all believed her because why would a white woman lie about something like that? And do you know who she was, Logan?" he taunted. "She was your mother!"

Seeing Josh stiffen in shock, Jeremiah laughed bitterly. "That's right, your mother. She made her father buy me when she got back home, and she kept me right in the house to fetch and carry for her. And sometimes when I brought her something, she'd pet me, and other times, she'd slap me, but I never knew which it would be. She was a mean little bitch, your mother. You're lucky she left you when she did, Logan. And she'd tell me things, too, things about my mother and our father, things nobody should ever have to know about his parents. And then, when I got old enough, she told the lie. She said I sneaked into her room one night and raped her."

As if from a distance, Josh heard Candace's cry of anguish. "Dear God," he murmured, but Jeremiah did not even seem to hear either sound.

"God only knows what they would have done if they'd caught me, but somebody warned me and I got away. The war had just started and there was a lot of confusion. I hooked up with some Yankee troops and went North. I've been a lot of places since then."

In the silence that followed this speech, Josh could hear the sound of shots. Occasionally one would strike the house, but it seemed that the firing had slowed. What did that mean? He could take no time to decide, however, not with Jeremiah still to contend with. "What made you come here after all these years?" Josh asked.

Jeremiah shrugged one shoulder. "I found myself in Texas one day and decided to look up my kinfolks," he said, his voice tinged with bitterness. "When I found out how you'd prospered, I decided to get a little for my own. Figured it was due me."

"Why didn't you just ride in and tell us who you were?" Josh asked, meeting Jeremiah's gaze relentlessly. "We would have welcomed you."

Jeremiah's lip curled in contempt at what he obviously considered a bold-faced lie, but his contempt withered as Josh continued to stare him down as if daring him to challenge the statement. "You would have welcomed your father's black bastard?" he asked. He was trying to sound skeptical, but Josh thought he heard an undercurrent of hope there,«too.

"I would have welcomed Candace's son," he said, "and my brother."

For one instant, total shock registered on Jeremiah's shadowed features, but then the sound of running footsteps on the front porch distracted them all.

"Jeremiah?" an accented voice called.

"In here," Jeremiah replied, and the front door burst open, allowing a wiry Mexican brandishing a pistol in each hand to enter. The bandito took in the scene in one glance.

He asked a question in rapid-fire Spanish, waving one of his pistols to indicate Josh and Candace. Josh caught enough of the question to know the man was demanding why the two of them were still alive.

Jeremiah replied in equally rapid Spanish, but from the look on the little man's face, he was not satisfied with the explanation. He made a grunting noise and lifted a pistol to take careful aim at Josh.

Josh knew he could throw himself to the ground, perhaps dodge the bullet and even regain his rifle, but that would have left Candace directly in the line of fire. Instead, he took the extra second to shove her down before diving to the ground.

As he fell, the blast of a gun filled the room, but Josh kept moving on instinct, picking up the rifle and raising it to his shoulder, vaguely aware of Candace's scream. Only when he had the little Mexican in his sights did he realize what was wrong. The man's face had gone crimson, and just as Josh's finger tightened on the trigger, the man slumped to the floor.

Startled, Josh turned to Jeremiah, whose smoking gun told the story. He had killed the Mexican to save Josh and Candace.

"Josh! Josh, are you all right? What's going on in there?" Grady's voice called from somewhere outside.

Josh shook his head a bit to clear it, waiting to see what Jeremiah would do. Slowly, the black man turned back to where Josh crouched on the floor. After another moment, Jeremiah lowered his gun.

"Josh! Josh, answer me!" Grady called again, sounding frantic.

"I'm fine, Grady!" Josh hollered back. "And Candace is with me."

"We routed them, Josh! They're on the run!" Grady's voice called.

"Good! Go fight the fire. I'll be there in a minute," Josh shouted, and then he lowered his own gun. To Jeremiah he said, "Get out of here. If they see you, they'll kill you."

For a moment, Jeremiah did not move, almost as if he had not heard the order.

"Go on now. Hurry!" Josh urged.

Jeremiah nodded and slowly holstered his gun. "I…" he began, but then stopped, as if he could not find the right words. At last he said, "Goodby, Mama."

The words seemed to echo in the room long after he was gone.

By dawn the next morning the ranch was crowded with neighbors who had seen the flames and come to help put out the fire. Although the barn was now only a pile of charred embers, they had at least managed to keep the fire from spreading. The women had fixed breakfast for the men, and while they were eating, Blanche finally found a minute to take Candace aside and get the whole story from her.

"Who would have ever thought," Blanche murmured in wonder when Candace was finished. "I know Felicity will be glad to hear all this. She must have been worried sick all this time."

Candace shook her head. "She don't know anything about this. Mr. Josh didn't tell her a thing."

"What!" Blanche exclaimed. "What on earth did he tell her when he left her in Philadelphia, then?"

"That we needed him to help with the roundup," Candace reported in disgust. "And that ain't the worst of it, Mrs. Delano. He hasn't written her one letter, not one line, since he's been back, neither."

"Has she written to him?" Blanche asked in disbelief.

Candace nodded. "She'd send two or three letters every week, or at least she did. Lately there hasn't been any. Not for two or three weeks now."

Blanche made a rude noise. "Well, of course there hasn't been. She's probably furious with him, and who could blame her? I'm furious myself. She thinks he just up and left her for no good reason and… Oh, Lord, Candace! When he didn't write, she must have thought he'd left her for good!"

"I don't know what she thinks, but it can't be anything nice," Candace said. "I tried to talk some sense into him, but he won't talk about it, not at all. Mrs. Delano, we've got to do something about this."

"You're absolutely right," Blanche replied. "And I think I know just what that something is. I'll write to her myself."

"Do you think that will help?" Candace asked.

"It got Josh home, didn't it?" Blanche replied with a conspiratorial smile.

Chapter Thirteen

Felicity paused in the parlor doorway, posing selfconsciously as she awaited Richard's reaction to her appearance. He rose slowly from his chair, a stunned expression on his face.

"Darling, you look ravishing," he exclaimed after a long moment of silence, and rushed forward to take her hands. "You'll be the most beautiful woman at the party."

Felicity smiled graciously at his compliment, although his casual endearment made her uneasy. A married woman should not allow such intimacy from another man, but she decided to ignore her qualms. Richard had proven he was her very best friend during the difficult two months since Joshua's desertion. Her cousin had certainly earned the right to call her "darling."

Then, with alarm, she realized he was closing in for a kiss. Even Richard had not yet earned that much intimacy, and she turned her head just in time, offering her cheek instead. The terrible part was that she had almost wanted him to kiss her mouth. Her pride had taken such a beating from Joshua's continued failure to contact her that she fairly ached for some reassurance that she was still attractive to someone. Richard would be only too willing to give her such assurance, she knew, and sometimes she was unbearably tempted to let him. But not this time.

Richard stepped away again, giving her a teasing smile that reproved her for avoiding his kiss, but he wisely said nothing about it. To do so might provoke an argument, and he had no intention of upsetting her on this of all nights. Instead he stood back and admired the picture she made in her new ballgown.

The dress was blue silk, the exact color of her eyes. Mademoiselle Fabian had designed it specifically for Felicity, to display her to perfection, and the woman had succeeded magnificently. The bodice and the edge of the skirt were adorned with crystal bugle beads that glittered dazzlingly and tinkled musically every time Felicity moved, giving the illusion that she was surrounded by some sort of shimmering aura. Richard thought she looked like a fairy princess.

Her golden hair was swept up into an elaborate coiffure, leaving her long, lovely neck exposed. Richard fantasized for a moment about kissing that neck before he noticed the necklace fastened around it. Diamonds. New diamonds. He had never seen the piece before.

"What a gorgeous necklace," he said. "Is it new?"

Felicity's hand flew self-consciously to the jewels. "Yes," she said with an embarrassed laugh. "Grandfather gave them to me this morning. I tried to tell him they were too much, but you know how he is. He just wouldn't let me refuse them."

"Yes, I know exactly how he is," Richard assured her, smiling. "And he's right to be like that. You should have beautiful things." His smile faded into earnestness. "You were born for this kind of life, my darling. Don't you realize that?"

Felicity stared at him in renewed alarm. What did he mean? But before she could ask him, Bellwood tapped on the parlor door.

"Excuse me, but I hear the guests beginning to arrive," he told them.

"We'd better get upstairs, then," Richard said, taking her hand and tucking it into the curve of his arm. "We have to greet them in the ballroom."

The ballroom was on the third floor of Maxwell's mansion, and as they made their way up the stairs toward it, Felicity did not know whether to blame her breathlessness on the climb or on the excitement over the coming party or on Richard's remark about how she was born for this kind of life. It was true that she could not help being tempted by all the luxuries her grandfather offered, but she loved Joshua and the life they had together. She would go back in a minute if she only thought Joshua wanted her to.

The thought of her husband brought with it all the pain his departure and subsequent silence had caused her. She had tried not to grow bitter, but as each day passed without word from him, she began to feel more and more abandoned. Her last letter describing this very party had been meant to stir his jealousy, but he had not responded at all. He had even ignored the news about her photographs being displayed at the Exposition. She was finding it increasingly difficult to maintain her belief that Joshua still cared about her.

"Why are you frowning?" Richard asked just as they reached the top floor of the townhouse.

Felicity consciously forced her lips into a smile. "I was just wondering if my dress is all right," she lied, nervously smoothing down the fine fabric and telling herself she was foolish for thinking such awful thoughts on this, the night her grandfather had planned to honor her before all of Philadelphia. She would forget about Joshua Logan and all the hurt he had caused her. She would have a wonderful time and worry only about preventing her grandfather from mentioning her photographs.

But what she saw when she entered the ballroom made all of that impossible. Her photographs were everywhere.

Her grandfather greeted her and Richard as they entered the room. "Surprise, my dear," Maxwell said. He was clad in evening clothes that were only slightly loose. In the weeks since Dr. Strong's first visit, Henry had made a rapid recovery. Only the small amount of weight he had not yet regained indicated how ill he had been. He smiled at her stunned expression as she stared around the room. "Now you see why we could not allow you up here this morning," he added.

Felicity nodded vaguely. She was too busy looking at her photographs to reply. Yes, they were all there, mounted and hung on the walls around the entire ballroom, silent reminders of the life she had determined to forget for this one evening. "Why on earth did you do this?" she asked at last, still numb from the shock and thinking inanely how the pictures looked out of place in the elegance of the room. She had an inexplicable urge to take them all down and hide them.

"I told you I wanted to make the announcement about your photographs being displayed at the Exposition tonight," Henry explained.

Felicity made an exasperated noise. "This," she said, making a gesture to indicate the pictures, "is not an 'announcement'!"

Henry shrugged apologetically. "I wanted everyone to see what a clever girl you are."

"Oh, far more than clever, Henry," a male voice said from the doorway. "The word 'genius' was bandied about rather freely at the last meeting of the Photographic Society."

Felicity turned to see Alex Evans escorting a middle-aged woman into the room.

"You remember Alex, don't you, Felicity?" Henry said.

Felicity forced herself to maintain her composure. "Yes, of course," she replied with a polite smile, giving the gentleman her hand. "So nice to see you again."

"And this is his wife, Elizabeth," Henry added.

When everyone had greeted everyone else, Evans turned to Felicity. "I perceive that you do not approve of your grandfather's surprise."

Felicity was not quite certain exactly what her feelings were on the matter. "I just wish he had consulted me," she said, giving Maxwell a sharp look, which he ignored. "This is really the first time my work has been shown publicly, and I just realized that I feel very uneasy about it."

"But you agreed to let Alex show your pictures at the Exposition," Henry pointed out. "Many thousands of people will see them there."

"But I won't be standing in the room with them," Felicity replied. She had also realized that she considered her work a very private matter, and she was beginning to feel somewhat exposed.

Henry patted her arm reassuringly. "I'm sorry to have upset you, my dear, but there's no need to be concerned. Everyone will love your pictures." There was no time for her to respond. More guests had arrived, and Isabel bustled into the room in a flurry of pink ruffles, looking as if she might faint for real. Felicity had to go to her rescue.

As she stood in the receiving line, Felicity met and greeted the guests with only half of her attention. The rest of it was focused on the photographs hanging around the room and the memories those photographs conjured. Joshua and the men, posing stiffly. Joshua and the rambling house that she loved. Joshua overriding Candace's objections and forcing her to have her picture made. Joshua and Felicity in their wedding clothes, trying not to laugh as Cody made the exposure. And Joshua alone, with desire shining in his eyes. How could she stand having strangers gawking over these private mementos?

And gawk they did. Everyone, it seemed, had come with no other purpose in mind but to examine her pictures. And one corner in particular was drawing more than usual attention. Finally, Felicity could stand the suspense no longer, and she left the receiving line to find out which picture had caused such a stir.

The group clustered there parted as she approached, creating an aisle between herself and the photograph in question. The next moment, Felicity found herself face-to-face with Joshua Logan, the man she loved with every fiber of her being. The man who had broken her heart. Anger and pain surged through her even as she acknowledged that she would give ten years of her life if he would just walk into the room at that moment.

"Oh, my," one woman was saying, "if any man ever looked at me like that, I'd simply die."

"But think what you'd be missing," another woman chided wickedly, causing a ripple of laughter among the group.

"Who on earth is he, my dear?" Elizabeth Evans asked Felicity.

"He's my husband," Felicity said defiantly, unable to suppress her churning emotions. Yes, she would give ten years and more to be in his arms once again. Longing shafted through her with aching swiftness. All the hurt and anger she had felt melted down into an empty pool of loneliness in the heat of his paper gaze.

"Was this picture taken before or after you married, Mrs. Logan?" the woman who had threatened to die inquired.

Felicity thought the question impertinent and rude, but she smiled with saccharine sweetness. "It was taken the day he first made love to me," she replied, momentarily forgetting to conduct herself like a perfect lady.

The woman gasped and her face turned an unbecoming shade of purple, but Felicity acted as if she did not notice. "Do you have any other questions?" she asked innocently.

The woman beat a hasty retreat, but the rest of the group closed in around Felicity. They all had questions, but none of them were rude. They wanted to know things like how long she had studied photography and who had taught her, and they had dozens of questions about the subjects of her photographs. Felicity turned her back on Joshua's picture and concentrated on the answers in an attempt to blot out the memories of her husband.

"You simply must do a portrait of me," Elizabeth Evans said later when some of the furor had died down. The two women had stopped to examine one of the portraits of Blanche Delano.

"But I don't have any of my equipment with me," Felicity protested, thinking what a wonderful subject Mrs. Evans would make. Felicity had often regretted not bringing her camera to Philadelphia since she would have loved to have a portrait of her grandfather, too. Perhaps if she took photographs here, they could help erase the memories these other pictures evoked.

"Nonsense," Elizabeth insisted. "Alex has a dozen cameras at home. He probably hasn't touched half of them in ten years. He even has a room set up for doing all those mysterious things that must be done in darkness. You're more than welcome to use any and all of it. Isn't that right, Alex?" she asked her husband, who had just joined them.

"Only if she promises to give me some pointers in plate making," he qualified.

Felicity protested that he probably did not need any pointers, but he insisted that he did.

Elizabeth interrupted their discussion. "What's this I hear about Alex wanting to put your pictures into the Photograpy Pavilion?"

Felicity found herself blushing at the reminder of the honor Mr. Evans had bestowed upon her. "Your husband thinks my work is good enough…"

"Of course it's good enough. That's not the problem. I just don't think the Photography Pavilion is the place for it. There will be over ten thousand pictures on display in that building. Your work would never get the attention it deserves among so many. Felicity," Elizabeth said, leaning close as if confiding something urgent, "there's also going to be a Women's Pavilion at the Exposition, where the accomplishments of women will be displayed. May we hang your pictures there? They're bound to get more attention…"

"Wait a minute!" Alex protested, but both women ignored him.

Felicity was considering what Elizabeth had said. She was right; with over ten thousand pictures being displayed, hers would be lost. For a moment she thought that might not be a bad idea. But Elizabeth wasn't finished with her arguments.

"You'll be the only woman photographer represented, Felicity. You owe it to all women everywhere to be recognized particularly for your ability. Someday you're going to be famous, and in becoming so, you will help other women enter the field, too."

As much as Felicity's nature rebelled at the thought of being singled out in such a way, and as much as she doubted Elizabeth's prediction about her future fame, she had to agree with her new friend's reasoning. If she could help other women, she should do so. "You're right. I think I would prefer my work to be exhibited in the Women's Pavilion."

Alex groaned dramatically as Elizabeth flashed him a victorious smile.

Felicity was just about to apologize to him when a familiar face appeared over his shoulder.

"Mr. Gordon!" she exclaimed.

Asa Gordon excused himself for interrupting, but the Evanses did not seem to mind, especially when they saw how happy Felicity was to see him. Elizabeth was eager to withdraw with her triumph, and she led a disgruntled Alex away. Felicity took both of Asa's hands in hers and had to fight the urge to fling her arms around his neck. The sight of him reminded her of home and good times, back when she and Joshua had been together.

"You promised to come and see us," she chastened him.

"And here I am," he replied with a smile.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it," she said, shaking her head. But she was too happy to quibble.

"Our city must agree with you," he said, looking her over from head to toe. "I wouldn't have believed it possible, but you're even more beautiful than ever."

"And you're looking rather handsome yourself," she said, dimpling as she returned his examination. "I hardly recognized you in that outfit."

Asa glanced down sheepishly at his newly purchased evening clothes. "I hardly recognize myself, but they wouldn't let me in here if I hadn't dressed the part."

Felicity laughed at his dismayed expression, making him chuckle in return.

"How is Josh these days?" he inquired then.

Felicity fought the swift stab of pain the mention of her husband caused and valiantly kept her smile in place. "He's fine… I guess. I… I haven't heard much from him lately," she said, avoiding Asa's perceptive gaze.

But he easily read her distress. "Is anything wrong?" he asked in genuine concern.

"Oh no," she assured him brightly. "I'm sure he's just busy with the roundup. You know how men can be about letter writing." She saw the worried look on his face and feared his probing questions. To distract him, she said, "Have you seen the pictures of Blanche?"

Asa's gaze followed her gesture to the photograph hanging nearby, and for a moment his eyes clouded. "That one is my favorite," he said softly, reminding Felicity that he had seen these pictures before, in Texas.

"I should have given you one," she said, wishing she had. "But somehow I thought you'd have the real thing to look at and wouldn't need it." Felicity put her hand on his arm. "What happened between you two?" She instantly regretted her question when she saw the pain flicker across his face, the pain of loss which she too easily recognized, but she had no chance to apologize. Richard was bearing down on them.

"Gordon, what are you doing here?" he demanded.

"Richard!" Felicity cried, protesting his rudeness. "Is that any way to speak to a guest?"

"If he is a guest," Richard said, his handsome face twisted in outrage. "I don't recall seeing his name on the guest list."

"Henry invited me," Gordon replied with a confident smile. "I'm sure if you ask him, he'll be glad to verify it," he added, glancing over toward the alcove where Henry Maxwell was seated, holding court with Dr. Strong hovering nearby, ready to send him off to bed if he showed any signs of fatigue.

Richard's gaze followed Gordon's, and at that moment Henry looked up. Seeing Gordon, he smiled and waved him over. "Excuse me, please. I'm being summoned," Asa said, still smiling. "Save me a dance later, won't you, Mrs. Logan?"

"Of course," Felicity replied, giving Richard a defiant glare. "And I want you to be my dinner partner, too," she added, ignoring Richard's horrified gasp.

"I would be honored," Asa said, grinning triumphantly at Richard before turning away.

"How could you, Felicity?" Richard demanded when they were alone. Richard was to have escorted Felicity to dinner.

"How could you?" she replied furiously. "You were unspeakably rude to Mr. Gordon."

"That man has no place here," Richard insisted.

"He's my friend," Felicity said. "I'll thank you to remember that the next time."

Richard opened his mouth to reply but caught himself just in time. This was exactly the kind of confrontation he had sought to avoid earlier. This evening was to be Felicity's triumph and, consequently, his own. Swallowing his anger, he dredged up a placating smile. "I'm sorry. You're absolutely right. I'm afraid that when I saw the two of you over here having an intimate tete-a-tete, I became so jealous' that I lost control of my reason for a moment."

"That was obvious," she replied, not placated a bit.

"I'll apologize to Mr. Gordon, too," Richard offered generously, although the words almost stuck in his throat. But at that moment he would have crawled over broken glass to restore himself to Felicity's good graces. He wanted nothing more than to make this the happiest night of her life.

"See that you do," she said, and started to turn away.

"Wait!" Richard called frantically. When she turned back, he summoned every ounce of boyish charm he possessed and asked humbly, "Would you prove that you have forgiven me and grant me the next dance?"

He really did look repentant, and Felicity was too softhearted to bear a grudge. Besides, he had been so good to her for so long, he was certainly entitled to one mistake. Felicity consented, giving him her hand and a warm smile of forgiveness. The dance was a waltz, and for the first few bars they moved together in silence. Richard, it seemed, had been successfully humbled. Or so she thought.

A moment later, he pulled her close and whispered, "I was right. You really are the most beautiful woman here."

His compliment touched a responsive chord deep within her. It had been a long time since a man had held her close and whispered sweet things, but Felicity could almost hear Joshua's voice saying those same words as his gray eyes smiled down on her, glittering with desire.

Richard's warm breath on her ear sent little shivers down her spine, and she made the mistake of looking up into his eyes. They were brown, not gray, but they burned with the same intensity she had often seen in Joshua's. The same intensity that Joshua's eyes held in the photograph hanging nearby. The memory kindled an unnatural heat in her own body.

As if sensing her reaction, Richard pulled her closer still so that her breasts teased against his chest, sending a disturbing message coursing through her quickening blood. She drew a startled breath and inhaled his musky, masculine scent, a scent that stirred long-suppressed emotions to life.

Richard studied her face, easily reading those emotions. "It's awfully warm in here," he said after a moment. "Let's go out on the balcony for a while."

It was indeed warm, and Felicity readily agreed. She needed some fresh air to clear her senses and to break the erotic haze that seemed to be turning Richard into Joshua right before her eyes. But she had not counted on the intimacy of the quiet balcony or the romantic ambience of the warm spring night. Stepping out into the silent darkness seemed to enfold them in a very private, very peaceful cocoon.

Richard slipped his arm around her waist as they moved to the railing and stood looking out over the treetops of Rittenhouse Square. Felicity knew she should step out of his embrace, that she was courting danger to stand so close to him, but his arm felt natural and right around her. His nearness was a comfort, and she needed comfort from the heartache Joshua had caused her. She had gone too long without the touch of one who really cared for her.

"Felicity?" he whispered, and in that moment she knew he really did care for her. He loved her as she needed to be loved. Her mind whispered, "Joshua," but the thought was too painful, and she had to blot it out. She lifted her face in desperation as Richard's mouth came down on hers.

His kiss was infinitely sweet, offering solace against the agonizing emotions the evening's activities had evoked, and she surrendered to it. For too long she had been denied such tenderness, and as one parched with thirst, she drank in this soothing release.

But the tenderness lasted only a second. Feeling her response, Richard tightened his embrace and tried to deepen the kiss, tripping an alarm inside her head. This wasn't Joshua! What had she done? she wondered frantically. Suddenly frightened over her own lack of control, Felicity struggled free of him.

"Richard! You mustn't!" she gasped, as horrified at her own behavior as she was at his.

"I can't help myself!" he insisted earnestly, reaching for her again. "I love you, Felicity. You must know that."

She avoided his grasp, shaking her head in silent denial. But it wasn't his love she was denying. She did know of that. It was her own reaction to that love she wished to disavow. "Don't say that, Richard," she begged.

"I have to say it, my darling," he said, capturing her again and holding her when she would have escaped. "I want to marry you."

Felicity gaped at him. "I'm already married," she cried in a last attempt to bring him to his senses.

For a second she thought she had succeeded as she felt the tension drain from his body. "Are you?" he asked coldly.

His question sent shivers of apprehension racing over her. "What do you mean?" she asked, not really wanting to hear the answer.

"I mean that your so-called husband left you here almost two months ago. How many times has he written, begging you to come home?" Richard asked, his voice raw with hatred for the absent Joshua. "Can you really be married to a man who no longer wants you?"

"That's not true!" Felicity cried. Richard's image blurred before her as she struggled to be free of him and of his taunting.

"But it is true," Richard insisted, unspeakably thankful that Logan had dug his own grave by not writing his wife any love letters. If Richard had known what a useful tool that would be, he might even have plotted to intercept such letters… if he could have borne to cause her such agony himself. "Forget about him, my darling. I want you and I love you! I'd never leave you, not for a moment…"

"Stop it!" Felicity shouted, breaking free from him at last. "Stop it, Richard! I don't want to hear another word!"

"Mrs. Logan?" Asa Gordon's voice startled them both, and they looked up to see his bulky form standing in the doorway to the ballroom. If he had seen or heard anything untoward, he gave no indication. His voice was perfectly normal when he said, "They're serving dinner now. Are you ready to go down?"

Felicity felt a hysterical urge to laugh at the absurd reasonableness of the request, but she quickly suppressed that desire. Instead she glared up at Richard. "You had better go along and find yourself a dinner partner, Cousin Richard," she said, signaling him that their discussion was at an end. She only hoped he would realize the folly of ever reopening the subject.

"But Felicity…" he objected, giving Gordon an irritated glance before turning back to her. When he did, his chocolate eyes were full of pain and remorse, but she could not let that move her.

"Please go, Richard," she said, leaving him no choice but to do so.

When he was gone, Asa Gordon hurried to her side. "Are you all right?" he asked. The urgency of his tone told her that he had indeed seen at least part of what had passed between Richard and herself.

"I will be, in a minute," she managed to murmur as she searched for the hidden pocket of her gown which concealed a handkerchief.

"Here," Asa said, offering his own.

She took it gratefully and wiped away her tears, making what repairs she could to her face. "I must look awful," she lamented. "How can I go back in there again?"

"You look lovely," he told her with a reassuring smile. "And don't worry, if anyone suspects anything, they will just assume I offended you in some way."

His remark brought a reluctant smile to her lips. "Thank you," she whispered, returning his handkerchief. "Please, stay close," she urged as they reached the door back into the ballroom.

"I'll never leave you, not for a moment!" Asa promised, managing a creditable imitation of Richard's fervent vow and tucking her arm into his.

Before she could react to his outrageous remark, he swept her into the bedlam of the ballroom. Asa did not stop, not until she was safely ensconced at a table downstairs, thus sparing her the ordeal of speaking with any of the other guests. He purposely selected a table in a remote corner of the back parlor, too, and seated her where she would be shielded by his bulk.

Soon one of the servants brought their meal, and Asa began to eat, pretending not to notice that Felicity didn't even bother to pick up her fork. When no one joined them after a few minutes, Asa felt free to speak.

"Josh loves you very much," he said.

"I… I thought he did," Felicity replied, blinking away fresh tears as she realized how very much she wanted to believe Asa's statement. "But he hasn't written to me. Not once the whole time he's been gone." She lowered her eyes to where her hands twisted in her lap so Asa would not see her pain.

But he had sensed it anyway. "Why did he leave?" he asked, keeping his tone conversational in an attempt to put her at ease.

Felicity twisted her hands again. "He needed to be home for the spring roundup…" she began, stopping when she could think of nothing to add to that feeble excuse.

Asa did not reply, and after a moment Felicity realized he was waiting for her to look up. She did, and the tender expression in his eyes surprised her.

"Mrs. Logan, that doesn't make any sense at all. Why would he just up and leave you here, all alone? He must have known how Winthrop feels about you. Even a blind man could figure that out. If he left, he must have had a good reason. Maybe something happened at the ranch."

But Felicity was shaking her head. "No, he would have told me," she insisted. "He knows I wouldn't want to stay here if there was trouble at the Rocking L…" Felicity's eyes widened as realization finally dawned. "No, he wouldn't have told me, for that very reason!" she cried. "If there was trouble, he'd want me as far away as possible!"

Asa nodded sagely. "He must have gotten some kind of message."

Felicity frowned as she tried to recall. "No, nothing, except…" Then she remembered. The day they had quarreled about going home, Bellwood had interrupted them with something. Had he had a message of some kind for Josh? Had he been carrying a letter? No, just a tray… a tray with something on it, something that must have been a letter. She did know that immediately afterward Joshua had changed his mind about allowing her to stay. In fact, he had insisted upon it. "Yes, that's what must have happened," she told Asa excitedly, but then she thought of something else. "But that still doesn't explain why he hasn't written to me."

Asa shrugged that off. "Like you said, you know how men are about writing letters. Or maybe he's afraid that if he writes, you'll get homesick and come home. Knowing Josh, he's got a good reason for not writing."

For the first time in many long weeks, Felicity began to believe that he just might. "Oh, Mr. Gordon, what should I do?" she asked after a moment, knowing that if she trusted her own judgment, she would take the next train to Texas. But she wasn't certain that was the right decision.

Asa slanted her a grin. "Well, first off, I'd say try not to be alone with young Winthrop anymore."

Felicity felt her face grow hot and averted her eyes in shame, but Asa patted her arm reassuringly.

"Then second, I'd say you should just wait. When it's safe for you, I'm sure Josh will tell you to get your little bustle back home or else," he said with a wink.

"But how can I just sit here, waiting and not knowing anything?" she protested, trying not to picture Joshua in danger.

"You'll just have to," Asa said, "and you can keep writing to him. Whatever's going on down there, it'll be a help to him knowing you're thinking of him."

Felicity could have groaned when she remembered how long it had been since she had sent Joshua a letter. Almost a month, and her last letter had bragged of how her grandfather was making a place for her in Philadelphia society. What must poor Joshua think? There he was, fighting heaven only knew how much trouble, and she had tormented him with hints that she had begun to prefer living here to sharing their home in Texas. There was no other thought that would torment him more, either, as she well knew. How childish she had been. She wanted nothing more than to rush to her room immediately and pour out her heart in the most passionate love letter ever written.

Unfortunately, at that moment Alex and Elizabeth Evans found her. "Do you mind if we join you?" Elizabeth asked, not waiting for a reply as she took a seat beside Asa. "We need to discuss how best to display your pictures. Now, what I had in mind was a whole wall in the Women's Pavilion…" she explained to Felicity.

But Felicity listened to the plans for her photographs with only half an ear. She was already composing the letter she would write to Joshua.

Much later, when all the guests had gone, Felicity stood alone in the empty ballroom before Joshua's picture. Reaching up, she traced his beloved features with her fingertip. How could she have been so stupid? Hadn't Joshua told her how much he loved her? Hadn't he proved his love over and over? She had let her own pride and Richard's enmity blind her to the obvious truth.

And how like Joshua to hide the truth from her. His need to protect her had taken extreme forms, extending even to celibacy. Why hadn't she guessed immediately that his change of heart about leaving her here was a result of that part of his character and not proof of indifference? When she remembered how he had made love to her that last night, she knew she must have been insane to ever doubt his feelings for her.

"I love you," she whispered to the picture, and then she hurried from the ballroom. Richard had gone downstairs to escort the last of the guests out. She had managed to avoid him all evening, but soon he would return, seeking her, she knew. She wanted to be safely locked in her bedroom when he did.

The next morning, Felicity was sitting in the back parlor slaving over her letter to Joshua when Bellwood's discreet knock interrupted her. "You have a letter, Mrs. Logan," he announced, presenting it to her on a small silver tray.

His words sent a thrill of excitement through her as for one moment she believed this to be Joshua's summons home, but that thrill turned to dread when she saw the handwriting on the envelope. It wasn't Joshua's handwriting. The return address said the letter was from Blanche. Why would Blanche be writing? She tried to tell herself it was only a friendly note, but there had been no friendly notes in all this time. Why would Blanche write now unless to tell her something was wrong?

With trembling hands Felicity tore open the envelope. "My Dearest Friend," the letter began. "I have recently learned that you are ignorant of events here…"

Quickly, Felicity read through the long explanation. At last, with tears in her eyes, she let the pages fall into her lap and sighed with relief. Joshua was all right. That was the important thing.

"Bad news, Mrs. Logan?" Bellwood asked solicitously. "I can send for your aunt."

"What? Oh no," Felicity assured him, hastily wiping the tears away. "It's very good news indeed." And then she remembered something Blanche had said in her letter. "Bellwood, did Mr. Logan receive a letter right before he left?"

Bellwood's inscrutable face grew even more inscrutable. "I'm sure I can't recall, ma'am."

"He did, didn't he?" she accused. "It came the day before he left, and it was from the same lady who wrote this letter," she added, holding up the pages she still clutched. "It's all right, Bellwood. I know he told you not to tell me."

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," Bellwood lied, but badly, so she would know the truth.

"No, of course you don't," she said with a grateful smile.

When Bellwood had gone, she reread Blanche's letter several times, gleaning every tidbit of information from it. When she had finished, she found that there was only one thing she did not know: If the danger was now over, why hadn't Joshua sent for her yet?

She was still puzzling over this when her aunt came in some time later. "Who is your letter from, dear?" Isabel inquired politely.

"From my friend, Mrs. Delano," Felicity replied absently. "You remember, I told you about her."

"Oh, yes, that striking-looking woman in the photographs," Isabel said, taking a seat opposite Felicity.

Her aunt sat there, smiling vacantly, waiting for some cue from Felicity as to where the conversation might be heading. Felicity decided to point it in a serious direction, something she had never before tried with Isabel. Perhaps she was wasting her time, but she badly needed to talk to someone, and Isabel was handy. "I may be leaving soon," she ventured.

Isabel seemed startled but not horrified. "Oh, dear," she said. "Papa will be upset, but then, that is to be expected. He'll want you to stay, you know. I think he even expects it, although that's foolish of him, isn't it? He may have a difficult time dealing with your defiance of his wishes, too. No one has defied him since your mother left here."

Felicity stared at her aunt. This was not the first reference Isabel had made to Claire's rebellion, but Felicity had always assumed that Isabel had exaggerated the conflict between her mother and her grandfather. Now that Felicity thought about it, however, her grandfather had alluded to that conflict on more than one occasion, too. "Aunt Isabel, what was my mother like?"

Isabel blinked in confusion for a moment. "Why, that's hard to say. I mean, she wasn't like me at all, and she wasn't like you, either."

That came as no surprise. Felicity knew her mother must have been much more spirited than Isabel to have run off with Caleb Storm. She also knew from what her father had said that her mother had been far more saintly than Felicity ever hoped to be.

Isabel's smooth brow furrowed as she considered. "Claire was wild. Very outspoken. Why, you never knew what might come out of that girl's mouth. And she wasn't afraid of anything, not even Papa. She would make him furious, and when he shouted at her, she never even batted an eye. She was, I guess, most like Papa himself. That's probably why he loved her so much…" Isabel's voice trailed off as she noticed Felicity's shocked expression. "Is something wrong, dear?"

Felicity shook her head. "No, nothing's wrong. Please, go on," she urged.

Isabel seemed to have lost her train of thought, so Felicity prompted her. "How did my mother and father meet?"

Isabel smiled at the memory. "When Claire went to have her picture made. I went, too, of course, and we both fell madly in love with the photographer. Caleb was so handsome. But, of course, he was socially unacceptable to someone of our standing. There was no question of his coming to the house, so Claire met him secretly."

Felicity tried in vain to picture the stooped and haunted man she had known as a handsome, virile lover who had swept a young debutante off her feet.

"Then Claire came home one night and announed to Papa that she was going to marry Caleb Storm. I've never seen him so angry. We feared he might have apoplexy. He threatened her with everything. He even threatened Caleb's life, but she was undaunted. The next morning she was gone. We never saw either of them again." Isabel sighed as her pale blue eyes seemed to gaze into some distant past time to examine a memory there.

"Papa was never quite the same after that," Isabel remembered. "I tried to make it up to him, but I wasn't Claire. No one could ever replace her… until you came along." Isabel smiled again and patted Felicity's hand. "But you won't let him keep you from your young man either, will you?"

"No, no I won't," Felicity murmured, as much to herself as to Isabel. She had been sitting here wondering what decision to make about going home when the answer was only too obvious. She must go to Joshua. Whatever his reasons for leaving her, whatever his reasons for not calling her home, he was still her husband and she loved him. If their marriage was to endure, they must be together. And by returning to him of her own free will, she would prove to him once and for all that she was not like his mother, that she would never choose her family over him. "Is Grandfather awake yet?" she asked, rising from her chair. "I think I'd better tell him right away."

Her conversation with her grandfather was just as difficult as she had anticipated, although he had apparently learned that threats were not the most useful way of bending a young woman to his will. Instead he questioned Josh's feelings for her in no uncertain terms and played on her sympathy for his own delicate health.

At last she said, "Please, Grandfather, don't make me choose between you."

Henry's step faltered as he paced across the room, and he stopped and stared at her in wonder. When he had studied her face for a moment, he shook his head resignedly. "That is what I'm asking you to do, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is, and it isn't fair," Felicity said, kindly but with iron determination. "I love you both, but Joshua is my husband and my place is with him. That doesn't mean I'll never see you again. We'll come back to visit you often, and you can come to Texas to see us, too, now that you're well."

Henry's shoulders slumped in the face of her determination. "Yes, you've given me back my health. I suppose I should be grateful for that, at least. But I was hoping… I thought perhaps you and Richard…"

But Felicity shook her head. "No, Grandfather, never me and Richard. I like Richard very much, but I love Joshua and he's my husband. I want to be with him."

"But what about your photographs and the Exposition? Surely you want to be here for your moment of glory," he tried desperately.

That was her one real regret, but she had already decided where her priorities lay. "Mr. and Mrs. Evans will be only too glad to oversee the exhibit for me. I don't have to be here. The photographs will stand on their own merit."

Henry reluctantly agreed. "It's just that I can't stand the thought of losing you…"

"I'm not Claire, Grandfather," Felicity assured him. "I'm not going to disappear from your life."

"No, you're not Claire," Henry agreed at last, lifting a hand to stroke the golden cloud of her hair. "You have her spirit, but you have a lot more sense than she or her father ever had."

"You have plenty of sense when you choose to use it," Felicity pointed out with a small smile.

She watched unnamed emotions play across his face for a moment, and then he said, "I think I'd better use some now, then. There's something you need to know about Joshua, about why he left here. He made me promise not to tell you, but I should have told you anyway. The reason I didn't was because I wanted you to be unhappy with him, and I'm sorry for that now. It seems there's some kind of trouble at his ranch. It may not be safe for you to go back yet…"

Felicity listened to his explanation, letting him show his concern for her, before she told him she already knew about everything. She did not leave him until much later, after she had assured him the trouble at the ranch was solved and he had helped her plan her trip and they had made promises to see each other again very soon. As she closed the door of his room behind her, she realized that she only had one more thing to do before leaving Philadelphia. She had to see Dr. Strong.

Josh roamed aimlessly around the empty house as twilight began to shadow the rooms. How he hated the long, lonely evenings when the men had retired to the bunkhouse and Candace had returned to her cabin. This was the time he used to spend with Felicity, and memories of her were everywhere in the echoing house.

In his restlessness, he carefully avoided the corner of the parlor where his desk sat, the desk where he had composed so many unmailed letters to his absent wife. Since the night of the fire, when he and his men had finally destroyed Ortega's gang and driven them off for good, Josh had changed his mind a dozen times about the best way to get Felicity home.

At first he had decided the only thing to do was go to Philadelphia and fetch her, but events had prohibited him from such an action. He and his men had spent several days combing the countryside for Ortega and the few outlaws who had escaped.

Josh had conducted the search with mixed hopes for success. While he wanted to capture Ortega once and for all, he was afraid that Jeremiah would be with the bandit. Even though his half-brother was far from innocent, Josh could not have brought him to justice, not when he owed the man his life.

But circumstances had spared him such a duty. Ortega and Jeremiah seemed to have vanished into thin air. Eventually Josh and his men returned home, content to know that although Ortega was not captured, at least he was conquered.

After that, Josh had to clear away what was left of the barn and oversee the raising of a new one. The whole community turned out for the event, and yesterday the new barn had been completed.

During all that time, Josh had begun to realize how foolish he would look if he returned to Philadelphia like a supplicant to beg Felicity to come home. By now she must be a veritable fixture in Philadelphia society, Henry Maxwell's protegee and Richard Winthrop's constant companion. The thought infuriated him. During those days, he had drafted several summonses which demanded she leave her grandfather and come home to Texas. All of them had ended up in the fire because he had known, however much he might deny it, that calling her home by mail was the coward's way out.

No, if he wanted his wife back, he must go to Philadelphia himself. If she was angry with him-as well she might be judging from her silence-then she could be angry in person. And if she still refused to come home, then he would simply bring her. A husband had certain legal rights that even Henry Maxwell's influence could not negate.

Damn it, yes, that's what he would do. He would go to Philadelphia. In fact, he decided, heading for his bedroom, he would leave tonight. There was no sense in waiting for the stage from Prospect. He could be halfway to San Antonio by morning if he left now on a good horse.

He was throwing things into a carpetbag when he heard a wagon rattling into the ranch yard.

"Hello, the house!" Blanche called.

Josh swore. Not Blanche, not now. She'd just stopped by this afternoon on her way to town. She'd been nosing around, asking questions about when Felicity was coming home. What in the hell could she want again so soon?

"Joshua!" Her voice seemed to reverberate through the evening stillness. "Come out here! I've brought you something from town!"

Blanche had indeed stopped by the ranch earlier. Her main purpose had been to make sure Josh was home, and to inform Candace of Felicity's arrival. Then, as instructed, she had gone to Prospect to await the stagecoach.

Felicity leaned out the window of the stage as the town of Prospect came into view. Miraculously, it was unchanged, although how that could be when she herself was so changed, Felicity could not imagine.

And Blanche was waiting for her, just as her telegram had requested.

"I see you got my message," Felicity said breathlessly when Blanche at last released her from a bear-hug greeting.

"Of course I got your message," Blanche said, looking exasperated. "But did you have to sign it, "Your Dearest Friend"? "Why didn't you use your name?"

"Because," Felicity said with a grin, "then my return would have been public knowledge. There's nothing private about telegrams."

"No, not when Oscar is the telegraph operator," Blanche agreed. "But why all the secrecy?"

"I told you, I want to surprise Joshua," Felicity said. She hadn't allowed herself to examine the motives for such a surprise. Perhaps she just wanted to be there to see his face that first moment when he realized she had come back to him. If she had sent the telegram to him, that moment would have occurred when she was a thousand miles away. If he had been the one to meet her, his true feelings would have been disguised behind a polite veneer. This way, she would see every one of those feelings just as Joshua experienced them.

By the time Felicity's trunks had been loaded into Blanche's wagon, everyone in town knew she had returned. She kept telling well-wishers that she wanted to surprise her husband. She only hoped that the news did not beat her out to the ranch.

"Do you want to get a bite to eat before we go? It's almost suppertime," Blanche asked when the loading was finished.

"No, I couldn't eat a thing. I'm too excited. I just want to see Joshua," Felicity said, and so they left immediately.

On the long ride out, Felicity kept her mind off the coming meeting with Joshua by entertaining Blanche with stories of Philadelphia life and tantalizing descriptions of her new clothes, which Blanche would just have to wait until another time to see. Blanche in turn filled her in on all that had happened during her absence.

When they both had finally run out of anecdotes, Blanche let a few moments of silence go by before she asked, "Did you see much›of Mr. Gordon while you were there?"

In her own excitement, Felicity had forgotten completely that hers was not the only romance she had determined to mend once she returned to Texas. "No, as a matter of fact, I only saw him once, and that was at the party where my photographs were shown. He asked about you."

"He did?" Blanche asked, betraying far more interest than she had intended to, judging from the way she bit her lip.

"Yes, he did, Blanche Delano, and he acted just as strangely as you're acting. What happened between you two, anyway?" Felicity demanded.

"Nothing," Blanche said with obvious regret, but when Felicity started to light into her again, she explained. "He made me mad when he tricked me, and when he didn't apologize, I figured I was right in thinking he was nothing but a lying cheat. I'd almost convinced myself I was better off without him when he finally did apologize that last day in San Antone."

"If he apologized, then what's still wrong between you?" Felicity asked in exasperation.

Blanche shook her head. "He apologized, but he didn't seem to want to take it any further than that," she said, trying to sound unconcerned.

"What!" Felicity cried.

Blanche gave a self-deprecating laugh. "I know it's hard to believe that any man could resist my charms," she said with irony, "but he obviously just didn't like me well enough to stay and work things out."

"That isn't true!" Felicity protested. "I saw his face when he asked about you, and I know he likes you. He more than likes you!"

For one brief moment, Felicity saw hope flicker in Blanche's green eyes, but it died just as quickly. She shook her head again. "If he did, he'd be here, wouldn't he?"

Felicity opened her mouth to protest again but caught herself just in time. There was only one person who could convince Blanche that Asa cared about her, and he was in Philadelphia. Felicity couldn't help wondering how long he'd stay there if he knew how eagerly Blanche would welcome his return to Texas.

"Joshua! Hurry up. I don't have all night!" Blanche called again.

Felicity fidgeted nervously in her hiding place. Blanche had told her to stand behind the wagon until the stage had properly been set for her presentation, but Felicity didn't think she could stand the suspense much longer. If Joshua didn't come out soon, she was going to run inside and get him.

At long last, she heard the front door open and Joshua said, "What brings you back again so soon, Blanche?"

The sound of his voice seemed to vibrate through Felicity's entire body, quivering along the nerve endings that anticipation had scraped raw. Only one more second and she would be in his arms, she reminded herself as she fought the urge to race around the wagon toward him.

"I brought you a little something from town, something that will cheer you right up," Blanche reported.

Joshua doubted that very much, but then he heard Blanche mutter, "Come on out," and he noticed a woman's skirts moving from the opposite side of the wagon. For one horrible moment he thought Blanche might have brought him some kind of female companionship in a misdirected effort at neighborliness. He had already opened his mouth to protest when he recognized his wife.

"Felicity," he said, stunned. Was his mind playing tricks on him? Was he seeing her face on other women's bodies now? But no, it was her body, too. It was encased in a prim little traveling suit he had never seen, but it was her body nevertheless. And her voice that spoke to him.

"Hello," she replied with a tentative smile. She took a step forward, but stopped uncertainly when he did not move. He was standing at the top of the porch steps, and the setting sun glinted off the silver of his hair. He was as handsome as ever except that he hadn't shaved in several days. Perhaps that was what made him seem so sinister, so forbidding, and why she hesitated to approach him. But why didn't he approach her?

Felicity. Her name seemed to echo inside his head like the roll of thunder. She was here. She was really here, and the implications of her presence shook him to the very foundation of his being. She had come home to him- without being forced, without being begged, without even being asked.

"Isn't somebody supposed to kiss somebody?" Blanche inquired impatiently after a long moment.

"God, yes," Josh muttered as he descended the stairs in one leap and took Felicity in his arms.

The mouth that claimed hers was blessedly familiar, and she gloried in the taste, the scent, and the feel of him against her. He crushed her to him so that her feet left the ground, and she clung with every ounce of her strength. Her joy magnified every sensation, the scratch of his beard, the silkiness of his silver hair as her fingers threaded through it, the iron pressure of his chest against the softness of her breasts, the urgent evidence of his desire.

"Now, that's a lot better," Blanche decreed, startling them back to reality and reminding them that they had an audience. Reluctantly they separated, but not completely, as if afraid that if they broke contact, this glorious moment would fade like a dream. "You haven't said how you like my little surprise, Joshua," Blanche taunted.

"I like it fine…" he began, but his pleased grin suddenly twisted into a frown. "How did you get here?" he demanded of Felicity.

"The same way I left," she said, still breathless from his kiss. "I took the train to San Antonio and then-"

"You came alone? You came on that stage from San Antone alone?" he asked, outraged.

"Well, yes…" she admitted, puzzled at his anger.

"Why on earth did you do a fool thing like that? Do you know how dangerous that is?" His hands tightened on her arms as if he wanted to shake her.

In her former life, Felicity might have bitten her tongue and swallowed the sharp words that sprang to her lips, but those days were gone for good. She was her mother's daughter now. "Would you rather I hadn't come at all?" she inquired haughtily. "Did you want me to stay in Philadelphia?"

Josh blinked in surprise at her tone. "No, of course not," he said. "But you should have waited for me to come for you."

"And how was I supposed to know you were coming for me?" she challenged.

Josh opened his mouth to reply, but then closed it with a snap when he realized he had no answer for that question.

"Kiss her again, Joshua," Blanche advised. "Then she won't be able to sass you."

Josh glanced at Blanche in annoyance. "It's getting dark, Blanche. Shouldn't you be heading on home?"

"Mr. Logan! Where are your manners?" Felicity said tartly. "Blanche, you're perfectly welcome to come in and even spend the night if you want."

Blanche laughed aloud at Josh's disgruntled expression as he dropped his hands from Felicity's arms and stepped back to stare at his wife in perplexity. "It would serve you right if I took you up on that invitation," Blanche said. "But I know my company would not be appreciated tonight. I'm only waiting for some able-bodied men to unload these trunks from my wagon, and then I'll be on my way."

Josh quickly rounded up the required men, who were all almost as overjoyed to see Felicity as he was. The disturbance drew Candace from her cabin for a tearful but happy reunion, so it was a while before Blanche was able to make good her promise. When the three large trunks containing Felicity's new wardrobe had finally been deposited in the house, Blanche took her leave.

"And Joshua, do let the poor girl get a little sleep tonight," Blanche added with a wink just before she slapped her team into motion.

Under normal circumstances, such a remark would have made Josh grin, but the circumstances were far from normal. Felicity was back, and just seeing her and holding her for a moment had stirred all his desire for her to life again. But her return had changed nothing as far as their physical relationship was concerned. He still could not make love to her.

"Let's go inside," he said when Blanche's wagon had left the yard and the others had begun to drift away so that Josh and Felicity could be alone. "Are you hungry?"

Felicity shook her head. "No, I'm too excited to eat," she told him with a smile as he conducted her into the house. She paused a moment, drinking in the sight of this room that held so many memories for her. The rocking chair Joshua had bought her still sat beside the hearth, the chair where she was to have rocked their child. She shivered slightly at this painful thought.

"Are you cold? I can make a fire," he offered, hearing the odd formality of his own voice but unable to shake off the feeling of awkwardness that caused it. He wanted to take her in his arms again, to taste her and feel her and kiss her, to assure himself that she was really here, but he knew such an action would be foolish and dangerous in the extreme. To hold her was bound to lead to other things, and he knew his control was tenuous at best.

"No, I'm not cold," she said, turning to face him. She, too, heard the formality in his tone, and when she studied his expression, she could plainly see that something was very wrong. "Aren't you happy to see me?" she asked, her old apprehensions returning in a rush. Perhaps her suspicions had been correct. Perhaps he really did not want her back. "Didn't you want me to come home?"

"Of course I wanted you to come home," he assured her quickly, seeing the hurt in her eyes. "And yes, I am happy to see you." He longed to go to her, to soothe away that hurt, but he did not dare, not yet. Perhaps in a moment, when he had better control.

For a second she automatically suppressed her response, instinctively seeking to hide her concerns from him, but she almost instantly recognized the folly of such an action. She had hidden her concerns for too long. Now was the time for honesty. "You don't look very happy," she accused. "You look like you wish I hadn't come at all. How long were you going to wait before you sent for me?"

Once again her words startled him. She had certainly turned into a spitfire since the last time he had seen her. Or maybe she was a lot angrier than she appeared to be. She had every reason for such an anger, he had to admit. At least he had the means to pacify her. He gave her an apologetic smile. "I wasn't going to send for you," he said, instantly regretting his teasing remark when he saw the pain of rejection flicker across her lovely face. "I was going to come for you," he quickly amended. "Here, look," he added, motioning her over to his bedroom door.

When she was close, he gestured toward the bed, where his half-packed bag sat. "I was getting ready to start for San Antone when I heard Blanche yelling outside."

Felicity lifted her face to his. "You were coming to get me?" she asked, hardly daring to believe the truth of that statement lest her hopes be dashed yet again.

He nodded. "I figured after I didn't write to you all that time, it might take more than just a letter to get you back."

"Oh, Joshua!" she cried, flinging her arms around him. "All you had to do was write, just one letter, and I would have walked all the way here!" For one glorious moment she held him, inhaling his clean, masculine scent and reveling in his strength.

Josh returned her embrace for blissful seconds, savoring the sweet softness of her. He heard her voice as if from far away, and he had to concentrate to understand the words.

"Why didn't you write? I know you didn't want me to know what was going on here, but you could have sent me a love letter…" She felt his body go rigid, and he pulled away from her.

"How did you know what was going on here?" he asked, forcing himself to concentrate on that so he wouldn't think about carrying her off to the big bed he knew awaited them in the next room.

"Blanche wrote and told me everything after the fire…"

"Blanche! That busybody! She had no right to meddle in our affairs," Josh shouted, grasping at the anger that helped cancel out his more dangerous emotions. "And that reminds me, was it her idea for you to come home by yourself?"

"No, that was my idea," Felicity said, a little taken aback by his fury.

"Don't you have a lick of sense? Anything could have happened to you on that trip," he fumed.

"But nothing did," she pointed out, still puzzling over his anger.

"Why didn't you at least let me know you were coming? I could have met your train," he said, running one hand through the silver of his hair.

"Because I wasn't sure you wanted me to come," she said, watching closely for his reaction.

"You weren't sure…? Why not?" His gray eyes reflected his bafflement.

"Because you left me in Philadelphia after telling me we could never live together as man and wife again, and then you didn't write to me, not once in almost two months. What was I supposed to think?"

Once more Josh saw the pain of rejection cloud the blue eyes he loved so much. The elemental urge to ease that pain drew him to her. "Oh, Lissy," he whispered. She was almost in his arms when he caught himself and stopped short, stepping back quickly. "You weren't supposed to think I didn't want you," he said instead, his voice hoarse with the strain of holding himself back.

She stared at him incredulously, trying to make sense of the disparity between his words and his actions. If he did want her, why was he acting as if he couldn't bear to touch her? "Do you still love me, Joshua?"

"Of course I do," he replied instantly.

"Then why don't you kiss me?" she demanded, unconvinced.

Josh closed his eyes; seeking the strength that seemed to have permanently deserted him. "There's nothing I'd like better," he said, steeling himself for the invitation he knew he would see on her face before opening his eyes again. "But I don't think I could stop with just a kiss."

Felicity's eyes widened as comprehension dawned. She smiled a slow, secretive smile. "But, Joshua, you won't have to stop!"

Chapter Fourteen

Felicity snuggled up to Joshua, savoring the feel of his naked body pressed up against the length of hers under the covers of their marriage bed. His arms tightened possessively around her, and he sighed contentedly in the aftermath of their passion. Playfully, she stroked the three-day growth of whiskers that shaded his cheeks.

He smiled lazily. "I told you to let me shave first, but you were in such a hurry," he teased, capturing the tiny fist that thumped him on the shoulder in retaliation and kissing each clenched knuckle.

"It seems to me you were in a little bit of a hurry yourself," Felicity reminded him with mock indignation. She remembered that very well, although she only vaguely recalled him muttering something about needing a shave as he was busy tearing her clothes off.

"Can you blame me?" he asked, nuzzling the sensitive spot just behind her ear.

"No," she whispered. She did not blame him at all for being eager, although at first she had feared a very different outcome for this evening.

Joshua had been furious when she told him she had spoken to another doctor, even after she assured him that Dr. Strong had not examined her. Not that she would have minded, of course. Before going to see the good doctor, she had decided she would submit to anything that might return her marriage to normal.

However, Dr. Strong had listened to her story and then informed her that an examination at this time would probably not accomplish anything.

"You should wait at least a year before even thinking about having another child," he had told her. "If, when your body has had a chance to heal, you decide you want to try again, come back and see me."

"A year!" she had protested, and with much embarrassment, had managed to convey her husband's fears of impregnating her if they made love in the meantime.

That was when Dr. Strong had embarrassed her even more by explaining how she and Joshua could make love without fear of pregnancy. All the way home on the train she had agonized over exactly how she would explain the process to Joshua without actually swooning with humiliation, but she had found the task surprisingly easy. As soon as Joshua calmed down about the doctor visit and she showed him the things Dr. Strong had given her, he had quickly comprehended the procedure.

Felicity had anxiously watched the expressions flitting over his handsome face as he gradually realized what this would mean to their marriage. His final expression had been pure, wholesome lust.

"Are you going to show me how to use these things?" he asked provocatively, sending a wave of heat to her cheeks and various other parts of her.

"I'll try," she had replied with feigned primness, "but I'm new at it, too. I may need a lot of practice at first…"

She hadn't even had a chance to finish her teasing. The next thing she knew, they were in the bedroom and clothes were flying everywhere.

Now, with that first burst of passion slaked, Felicity stroked his prickly cheek. Only one worry marred the bliss of the moment. "Was it… was it as good for you as before?"

Dr. Strong had warned that her husband might complain about a certain dulling of sensation.

"It was perfect," he lied. He had noticed a difference, a lessening of pleasure, but what did that matter when weighed against the choice of never having her again? "Couldn't you tell how pleased I was?" he asked with a grin.

Yes, she had been able to tell that. "You weren't half as pleased as I was," she taunted playfully.

Josh pretended to consider that remark. "I suppose that means you must have missed me," he concluded, only half teasing.

"Terribly," she said, no longer teasing at all. "And… did you miss me?"

"Oh, a little," he allowed, but then he saw how her expression had changed, how her blue eyes were clouded with doubt. "I only missed you as much as I would miss my heart if somebody cut it out and carried it off to Philadelphia," he told her raggedly.

"Oh, Joshua, I love you so much," she said, pulling him close and closer still until only the ultimate union could bring the oneness she desired.

"I love you, Lissy," he whispered, his voice urgent with need. "Don't ever leave me again."

Felicity wanted to remind him that she had not been the one to leave, but his mouth was on hers, effectively blocking any argument. After a while, making the point no longer seemed important.

Joshua's hands were gentle but relentless, leaving no part of her body unexplored. Places she had never dreamed could be sensitive sprang to life under his loving touch. Perhaps her reaction was so intense because her body was starved for him, but she did not care to analyze her response at that particular moment. She just wanted to experience it.

And experience it she did, with every sense, every nerve, every fiber of her being, until she heard her own voice, hoarse and breathless, begging for release.

"Help me, Lissy," he commanded, gasping when she swiftly obeyed with fingers made clumsy by all-consuming desire. Then she guided him to her with a boldness she had never shown-and never known-before.

He took her slowly, tormenting them both by prolonging the agony and the exquisite pleasure of delay.

"Don't… ever… leave… me," he chanted against her mouth as his body drove her to unknown heights where the air was thin and she gasped for every breath. She was so high she might have touched the stars, but when she tried, they exploded around her in a brilliant burst of flame.

Jeremiah chewed the last bit of meat off the tiny rabbit bone and tossed it aside. He was still hungry, but that was to be expected when one small rabbit had to feed four grown men. He glanced at the motley group clustered around the campfire and shook his head in disgust. Only four of them remained out of the dozen who had invaded Logan's ranch, and one of the four was so badly wounded, Jeremiah doubted he would live until morning.

"We've got to get out of here before we starve to death," Jeremiah said to the wizened man squatting to his right.

Ortega turned his beady black eyes toward Jeremiah, eyes filled with hate and suspicion. "I will not leave until I have killed Logan," he said with the air of one repeating a catechism.

"You won't be able to kill Logan if you're dead yourself," Jeremiah pointed out with what he hoped sounded like perfect logic. "We're out of food and it's too dangerous to hunt this close to Logan's ranch. They're bound to hear the shots. We can't live on rabbit forever." Jeremiah made a disdainful gesture toward the remains of the animal he had been lucky enough to snare that morning.

"We could leave now if you had killed Logan when you had the chance," Ortega snarled, his thick lips curling in contempt.

Jeremiah fought down the swift wave of anger that threatened to cloud his judgment. Too much defensiveness would only convince Ortega that he was right. "I told you," he said calmly. "The old woman tricked me. She called out a warning and Logan got the drop on me. If Jose hadn't come in when he did and distracted him, I'd be dead now, too."

Ortega studied him with those hate-filled eyes, and Jeremiah forced himself to meet that gaze unflinchingly. Fearing that Ortega would challenge his story again, Jeremiah went on the offensive. "And what makes you think you can get to Logan with this crew?" he asked, making another disdainful gesture at the men gathered around the fire. One of them murmured incoherently in feverish delirium. Another favored a badly sprained leg. Even Ortega sported a bloody bandage on his forearm. Only Jeremiah had emerged from the attack unscathed, and that had won him Ortega's well-earned suspicions.

Ortega considered Jeremiah's question thoughtfully as he, too, studied what was left of his gang. "You're right," he said at last. "I have to go back to Mexico."

Jeremiah experienced a sense of profound relief. The only reason he had sought out this hidden camp after the fire- the camp he himself had located for Ortega's gang as their base of operations while they conducted their raids on the Rocking L Ranch-was because he wanted to be sure Ortega had given up his plans for revenge against Josh Logan. But Jeremiah's relief was short-lived.

"I will need more men to do what I have planned. Not many, just a few good men that I can trust," Ortega murmured thoughtfully. "Men who know how to treat a woman."

"A woman?" Jeremiah echoed in sudden alarm. "What woman? What exactly do you have planned?"

Ortega smiled, showing blackened teeth. "I cannot beat Logan in an open fight. I cannot even take enough of his cattle to hurt him. But I can take something more precious to him than any of his other possessions. I will take his wife."

"But she isn't here," Jeremiah protested, feeling a growing apprehension as he realized Ortega was deadly serious about this plan.

"She will return, sooner or later. I am a patient man. I can wait. When she comes, when I have found the right men, I will come back." His grin grew sly as he considered Jeremiah's reaction to his words. "Or maybe I do not need any other men. As I remember, you are a man who knows how to handle white women. Maybe I will just turn her over to you."

Felicity shivered slightly as she looked at the new barn in the golden glow of morning and tried to imagine the horror of that night when the old one had burned. Josh came up behind her on the porch and placed his hands on her shoulders in a comforting gesture. "The barn was old," he said. "We needed a new one anyway."

She turned to face him, searching his expression to discover his true emotions. Last night they had been so distracted by the intoxication of simply being together again, they had not discussed the other important things. "Blanche said Jeremiah saved your life."

Josh nodded grimly, remembering the events of that night all too clearly. "He killed one of his own men to save me and Candace. The really strange part was that he had come that night especially to kill me."

Felicity shuddered at the thought. "What happened to change his mind?" she asked, needing to hear all the details.

Josh led her over to the porch swing, where they sat down before he began telling her of the events of that night. Felicity held his hand tightly as he spoke, sharing his emotions as he relived the shock of the fire and the awful scene in the parlor. When he was finished, they sat in silent communion for a long moment before Felicity finally spoke.

"It's easy to understand why Jeremiah hated you so much. He must have felt that nobody loved him at all. But he was really a good man, deep down. He proved that when he saved your life and Candace's," she said, wiping away a tear and trying not to think how close death had come to her beloved.

"Yes," Josh agreed. "It's easy to see how he got mixed up with Ortega, but he proved what kind of a man he really is."

"What I simply can't believe is that your mother could do something so awful to an innocent boy. Poor Jeremiah," she said.

"She was a very selfish person. From what Jeremiah said, she must have been a little crazy, too. That's what Candace thinks, anyway. We talked about it afterward, and it's the only explanation that makes any sense."

Felicity nodded. "I just wish…"

"You wish what?" he asked when she did not finish the thought.

"I wish we could make it up to Jeremiah. I wish he could come and live here with us." She gave him an apologetic smile, certain that he would disapprove of her suggestion, but instead he smiled back, warmly and lovingly.

"I wish the same thing," he said, reaching up to stroke the soft curve of her cheek. How strange that they should both want the same thing for his half-brother. "Unfortunately, he's guilty of rustling, and he's still wanted for rape, even if he's innocent of that crime. If he stayed around here very long, he'd wind up on the end of a rope."

"It just doesn't seem very fair," Felicity said, nuzzling against his hand.

"Life is hardly ever fair," Josh said. "We just have to be grateful when we get a little lucky, the way you and I are right now," he added with another warm smile.

Felicity closed her eyes for a moment against the pure bliss his words brought her. They really were lucky, very lucky, when she considered what might have happened. And then she remembered someone else who had not been quite so fortunate. "How is Candace doing? She seemed fine last night but…"

"She keeps it all inside. Like I said, we talked some right after the fire, but not since. She never mentions Jeremiah's name."

"Then maybe I'd better go see her, and let her talk it out," Felicity said, remembering how often Candace had comforted her during difficult times. Reluctantly, she removed Joshua's hand from where it was still caressing her face. "She's helped me over a lot of rough spots. Now it's time I returned the favor."

Josh nodded his agreement as she rose from the swing and gave him a parting smile. He watched her moving away, enjoying the graceful sway of her body as she walked across the porch and back into the house to look for Candace. In those few seconds, he came to realize how much she had changed. The frightened girl he had found on the prairie was now a woman, a new woman, and he loved her in a new way. Last night, when they had come together in the heat of passion, had been wonderful, but strangely, this quiet time together had been equally satisfying.

He spent a few moments trying to decide why and came to the rather startling conclusion that he genuinely liked his wife, something he had never noticed before. He had always thought of her as a lover and a wife and sometimes even as a mother for his children, but never had he thought of her as a friend. The idea was intriguing, but perfectly logical when he gave it some thought. Who knew him better or understood him as well? To whom were his concerns more important? Who else could share both his sorrows and his happiness? And what other person had brought him more happiness? The word was the very meaning of her name. Josh smiled slowly as he recalled all the reasons why he had selected her as his bride. They had been the wrong reasons, but in his ignorance, he had made the right choice anyway. The innocent, frightened girl he had taken to wife was all grown up, molded by tragedies and hardships that might have destroyed someone else. She was everything he had always wanted, and he would cherish her as he had never cherished another person.

Josh glanced doubtfully at the letter Felicity had just given him to mail. "What makes you think Asa even wants to come back to Texas? He just spent over a year here, looking for you. I'll bet his saddle sores aren't even healed yet."

"He'll come," Felicity said confidently, "especially when he reads that letter."

"What on earth did you tell him, Mrs. Logan?" Josh asked, narrowing his eyes at her in an attempt at intimidation.

The attempt failed, as he had known it would. "I just hinted, ever so discreetly, that Blanche might look upon him favorably as a suitor," Felicity informed him, meeting his disapproving gaze squarely.

Josh resisted the urge to kiss that satisfied grin of hers into something far more interesting. But they were, after all, standing on the front porch of the ranch house, where anyone might see. Still, it was tempting, especially when he saw the silent invitation glittering in her blue eyes. The little vixen had developed into quite a temptress since her return. The past two weeks had been like a new beginning for them in which the sensual intoxication of their renewed intimacy was enhanced by the depth that tragedy and hardship had given their relationship.

If Josh had had his druthers, he would have spent every hour of every day in bed with Felicity, making love now and again but mostly just talking, exploring these new depths. He had confirmed his earlier theory that talking with her, sharing thoughts and dreams, worries and concerns, was actually another way of making love. And an equally satisfying way, too.

"Felicity," he said, giving her what he hoped was a chastening look, "did Blanche tell you to write to Asa?"

"Well, no," she admitted reluctantly.

"Did she tell you she wanted him to court her?"

"Not in so many words…"

"Felicity!" he said in exasperation. "You can't go meddling in other people's lives like this. What if Asa comes all the way back here, and Blanche won't have anything to do with him?"

"But she will," Felicity insisted. "The only reason she's mad at him right now is because he left her in the first place. If he comes back, everything will be just fine."

"Then let her tell him herself. You can't meddle-"

"Yes, I can," she said. "Blanche meddled in our lives, and just think what might have happened if she hadn't."

Josh frowned at the memory. "I would have come for you," he reminded her.

"Yes, but we would have lost a whole week together, and besides, things might have worked out differently if you'd come to Philadelphia spoiling for a fight." She crossed her arms in silent challenge. They had argued this point before, and he had conceded that she was probably right.

He did so now, but still, he fingered the envelope doubtfully. "I just hate for Asa to come all this way and be disappointed."

"He won't be," she promised, and then smiled lovingly up at him. "I came all this way and I wasn't disappointed a bit."

No longer able to resist the temptation, Joshua swooped down and planted a kiss on her perfect little mouth. When he let her go, she was blushing prettily.

"Mr. Logan, behave!" she said, giving him a playful swat. "You're making a spectacle of yourself."

"I'll do more than that if you don't stop flirting with me right out here in public," he threatened with a grin.

She dimpled. "I wasn't flirting!" she protested. "If you want to see flirting, I'll-"

"No, please!" he said, lifting his hands in mock surrender. "I'll wait until I get back from town and we're in a very private place. Then you can feel free to drive me absolutely crazy. Until then," he warned, grabbing her chin, "behave yourself!" He gave her another quick kiss and made a hasty escape to the horse that was waiting to take him to town.

Felicity watched him ride away, standing on the porch and waving until he was out of sight. Then she sighed and moved over to the porch swing, where she slumped down wearily. Closing her eyes, she fought the wave of fatigue that threatened to overwhelm her and considered the wisdom of taking a short nap before Joshua returned home.

In Philadelphia, she had blamed her lassitude on missing Joshua and on the late hours she and Richard had kept by attending parties and plays and social events. Hadn't Dr. Strong explained to her how the human mind could play tricks on the body? Her worry about Joshua and about Richard's unwanted attentions had worn her out physically. That was all there was to it.

Except her simple rationalization did not explain why she continued to be so tired now that she and Joshua were together again and everything was fine.

"Are you all right, Miss Felicity?" Candace's voice cut into her thoughts.

"Yes, I'm fine," Felicity said, managing to smile reassuringly at the black woman who had just come out onto the porch. She was glad to see Candace had regained her old spirit once Felicity had managed to convince her that Jeremiah no longer held her responsible for what had happened to him. The fact that he had saved her life and Joshua's proved it.

The old domineering Candace glared down at her now. Joshua Logan's mammy was not fooled by Felicity's protests that she felt fine. Candace shook her head and clucked her tongue disapprovingly. "That man's trying to wear you out. You ought to tell him 'no' once in a while. It wouldn't hurt him none," she advised.

Felicity smiled tiredly at Candace's tone. "You're right, Candace," Felicity said, eager to accept this explanation for her tiredness. She couldn't let herself consider any other possibilities, not when everything was going so well for her and Joshua. "And I think I will lie down for a while… just so I won't have to tell him 'no' tonight!" she added with a twinkle.

Asa Gordon had the oddest sensation of deja vu as he reined up in Blanche Delano's front yard. The only difference was that this time the flowerpots were full of lush greenery and vibrant color. And this time, instead of freezing, he was sweating, and not just from the late June heat, either.

How long had it been since he'd been this nervous over seeing a woman? Never, he admitted, realizing that no other woman's reaction had ever been quite so important to him. Would she be happy to see him, as Felicity had promised before he had left her house this morning, or would Blanche send him packing, as he so richly deserved? Taking a deep breath to control his anxiety, he called out.

"Hello, the house!"

Inside the ranch house, Blanche Delano shook her head, wondering if her ears could be playing tricks on her. Cautiously, not daring to hope, she moved toward the front door. She could see a man sitting a horse in her front yard. She told herself that he was probably a drifter looking for work. There must be hundreds of men built like Asa Gordon with deep baritone voices. But this man was dressed in a suit, as if he was going someplace very special. And then he lifted his hat to wipe the moisture from his brow, and she got a good look at his face. Her heart did a little flip-flop in her chest and her stomach seemed to drop all the way to her toes and bounce back up again. It was Asa! He had come to see her. But why?

The question echoed in her mind for a moment before she was able to get a grip on her emotions again. She was wasting time standing here wondering, she told herself sternly. She should go on out there and find out.

She opened the screen door carefully and stepped onto the porch. He seemed to stiffen at the sight of her, as if he, too, was wary.

"Well, hello, Mr. Gordon," she said, hoping her voice sounded more normal than she felt. "You're a long way from home. Not lost again, are you?"

Asa managed a smile, even though he felt as nervous as a schoolboy with his first girl. "I hope not."

Blanche hoped not, too, but she didn't say so. "I reckon you'd like to come in out of that hot sun. There's a nice shady spot here on the porch, if you'd like to join me," she said.

Asa almost sighed aloud, so great was his relief at the invitation. At least he would have a chance to plead his case. As he dismounted and tethered his horse at the hitching post in front of the house, Blanche called to her maid to bring them some lemonade.

Blanche was waiting for him when he climbed the steps to the porch. She was wearing a bright blue Mother Hubbard without corsets, in deference to the heat, and the sight of her unfettered figure made his mouth grow dry. He would be glad for some lemonade.

"What brings you back to Texas?" she asked, crossing her arms beneath the fullness of her bosom in a defensive gesture. She needed all the protection she could get from his potent male presence. For the second time in her life she felt weak and vulnerable and intensely feminine. It was a delicious sensation, but a dangerous one, too. She would have to be careful.

Asa stopped before her and removed his hat as he took in the smooth whiteness of her skin and the glossy ebony of her hair, but most of all the glittering emerald of her eyes. He considered telling her his real reason for coming but decided that could wait. Instead, he settled for a half truth. "The Logans invited me."

That surprised her and irritated her just a bit. To cover her reaction, she turned and led the way over to where two cushioned wicker chairs sat in a coolly shaded spot on the porch. Why hadn't Felicity told her they had invited him or at least warned her that he was coming? Surely she must have known.

"How long have you been here?" she asked, hiding her annoyance.

"Since last night," he said, watching closely for her reaction. He was not disappointed.

"Last night!" she repeated, both surprised and pleased. "You certainly didn't waste any time coming to call, did you?" she asked, glancing at the morning sun and thinking that it could not yet be nine o'clock.

Asa smiled, glad that he had impressed her. "I would have been here sooner, but I wanted to be sure you'd finished breakfast."

Blanche considered all the ramifications of this confession. "And now that you are here, maybe you'll tell me why you've come," she said, suddenly suspicious. Had Felicity sent him? And what was he up to?

Asa gave an inward sigh. This was it, his one remaining chance. If he ruined it, there would be no third opportunity. "I came to see if I could get you to understand why I had to lie to you about being Felicity's uncle. I know it's hard-"

But Blanche interrupted him with an impatient noise and a wave of her hand. "I already told you I forgive you for all that. I don't want to hear about it again. What I want to know is why you're here now."

Asa stared at her, momentarily nonplussed. He had planned it all out. He would ask her forgiveness. If she granted it, he would obtain her permission to call on her. After a suitable length of time, when he was more certain of her feelings for him, he would confess his own. Now she was insisting he bypass all the preliminaries and simply blurt out his intentions. He shifted uncomfortably in the chair. "I… I'd like to court you, Blanche."

She was instantly wary. Had he traveled ail this way with the express purpose of marrying her? This was too sudden and too drastic a move fora cautious man like Asa Gordon, a man who had spent his adult life carefully investigating every situation. "Why do you want to court me?" she demanded.

"Why?" he repeated incredulously, searching frantically for a respectable-sounding reason. He certainly couldn't afford to offend her at this point by telling her how he had been dreaming for months of having her in his bed, as his wife, for the rest of his life. "Well, you're a very attractive woman and-"

"What is it about me that you find attractive?" she challenged, sounding almost angry.

Puzzled, he swiftly considered all her many charms, trying to decide which ones to mention… and which ones he could mention. "Surely you must know how beautiful you are…" he tried.

"Is it my beautiful self that you want or my beautiful money?" she asked, no longer bothering to conceal her fury. Her money was the only thing she could think of that might have brought him back here so determined to win her hand. If he had felt some unrelenting passion, he never would have left in the first place. She could see Felicity's hand in this. The poor girl had probably been trying some matchmaking and had innocently let slip the information that had brought Mr. Gordon rushing back to Texas to plead his case.

Asa frowned. At last her animosity made sense, but it opened a whole new set of problems for him. "Are you very rich, Blanche?" he asked, dreading the answer.

"Don't you know? Surely Felicity told you all about me. Is that why you came, because you decided to try to catch yourself a rich widow?" Blanche knew her anger was out of proportion to the situation, but she could not seem to help herself. The thought that he had sensed her attraction to him and, learning about her financial status from Felicity, had decided to take advantage of it infuriated her.

"Then you are a rich widow," Asa said with genuine disappointment. "I've been afraid to ask. I was hoping that since your husband's death, you'd been just barely scraping by, holding this place together by the skin of your teeth. Maybe you'd even be happy for some help from an unemployed Pinkerton detective."

"Unemployed?" Blanche echoed.

Asa nodded resignedly. "I quit my job before coming here. That double-damns me, doesn't it?" He didn't bother to add that Allan Pinkerton would hire him back in a second. There was no use in making excuses. Blanche Delano was not a woman to be impressed by excuses. His best bet would be to beg her pardon yet again and make his escape while he still had a few shreds of dignity intact. But just as he opened his mouth to do so, a slender Mexican girl emerged from the house carrying a pitcher and two glasses.

"Our lemonade," Blanche announced, grateful for the interruption. At least she would have a few moments to collect her wits and analyze the things Asa had told her so far. She sat quietly as Maria poured their drinks, smiled tentatively at both of them, and then went back into the house. Asa drained his glass in one gulp.

"More?" Blanche asked, lifting the pitcher that Maria had left sitting on the small wicker table that stood between the two chairs.

When Asa extended his glass for her to fill, she noticed the slightest tremor in his hand. Instantly her gaze flew to his face. She had been studying men's faces all her life, reading their thoughts and their intentions. It was the only way she had been able to survive in a man's world. What she saw now in Asa's face was not what she would have expected from a determined fortune hunter.

He looked positively vulnerable. And discouraged, too, as if her accusations had ruined his plan. But if his plan had been to win her fortune, such a setback would not have mattered. A veteran charmer like Asa Gordon would simply overwhelm her with flattery and make her feel so desirable that she would forget all her doubts. Why wasn't he doing that?

The answer came to her in a blinding flash of insight. For the first time in his life, Asa Gordon was trying to be honest. The trouble was, he was so used to lying that he didn't quite know how to go about being honest without ruining everything. It was only a theory, of course, so Blanche decided to test it.

"I'm not really the fine lady that you think I am," she began, filling his glass and setting the pitcher down again.

A little disoriented by the sudden shift in subject, Asa said, "You're not?" for lack of a better response.

"No, I'm not. You see, I was raised in a whorehouse." Blanche waited for his reaction, but it was not the one she expected.

"So was I," he said.

What was it she saw in his eyes? Pity? No, empathy. He was not lying. He really understood. "But it's different for a girl," she continued relentlessly. "When you got old enough, you left. When I got old enough, my mother turned me out to whore, too. That's what I was when Sam Delano found me."

For an instant real pain flickered across Asa's face, pain for what she must have endured, but his expression quickly changed to suspicion. "Why are you telling me all this?" he demanded.

Blanche did not deign to reply. She simply gave him a moment to reach his own conclusions.

The process took only seconds. "Are you trying to put me off? Did you think I wouldn't want you if I knew?" he asked, suddenly furious. He slammed his glass down on the wicker table, making it tremble.

Blanche was unmoved. "Of course, enough money can help a man forget a lot of things," she remarked.

Asa swore and lunged to his feet. "I wouldn't care if you'd slept with half the men in Texas and didn't have a dime to your name," he informed her, wagging a large index finger under her nose. "And if you think for one minute you can scare me off…"

He stopped as he suddenly realized he was shouting threats at the woman he had come to woo. He lifted the hand he had been wagging in her face and used it to cover his own for a few seconds while he regained his control. He swore again, this time in despair. Now he had ruined everything. She would send him packing for sure. But to his infinite surprise, when he lowered his hand, she was smiling.

Blanche rose slowly, savoring this glorious moment, certain that she would never again see Asa Gordon quite so unsure of himself. "All right," she said cheerfully.

Asa blinked in confusion. "All right what?"

"All right, you can court me," she explained, still smiling. "But only if you don't take too long about it."

Asa opened his mouth and closed it, speechless for once. Finally, he managed to ask, "What made you change your mind?"

"I never changed my mind. I always wanted you to court me. In fact," she added, tipping her head coyly, as if to examine him from another angle, "I decided you were the man for me the minute I laid eyes on you."

Asa stared down at her for a long moment, not quite able to believe his ears but unable to doubt the sincerity he saw shining in her emerald eyes. Still, one thing did not quite make sense. "Then why did you act like you couldn't stand the sight of me?"

Blanche batted her eyes at him. "Because you were acting like a damn fool and I couldn't stand the sight of you. I thought you weren't going to apologize, that you really didn't understand how you had hurt me with your story about being Felicity's uncle."

"But I did apologize!" he protested.

"Yes, at the very last minute, and then you ran off and jumped on a train-" "I did not run off-"

"You most certainly did-"

"Blanche!" Asa said in exasperation. "Can we stop fighting for just a minute?"

"Why?" she challenged.

"Because I want to get started with my courting. You said you didn't want me to waste any more time."

"Well, all right," she allowed generously. "What would you like to do first?"

"This," he said, and wasting no more time, he took her in his arms and kissed her thoroughly.

The kiss was everything she had imagined it would be and more. When they were both breathless and clinging, he lifted his mouth from hers and gave her a shaky grin. "We can't keep this up on the front porch. Somebody will see us."

"Maybe we'd better go inside, then," she said with a provocative smile, "where we'll have lots of privacy."

But instead of eagerly agreeing, as she had expected, he frowned in disapproval. "Blanche, you hardly know me. Maybe we ought to take this a little slower…"

"Are you sure you want to?" she asked, teasing her body against the very obvious evidence of his arousal.

"No, I don't," he admitted hoarsely, "but I'm not the one who might be making a mistake."

"I'm not making a mistake," she assured him, pulling out of his embrace and taking his hand to draw him into the house. "And as for getting to know you, by the time this day is over, I think I'll know everything I need to."

* * *

Asa and Blanche's wedding was even more lavish than Josh and Felicity's had been, and certainly better attended. Everyone who had so much as heard of the Widow Delano wanted to see the mysterious Yankee who had finally won her heart. Even the scorching July heat did not keep anyone away.

As the resident photographer, Felicity had captured the event in a series of memorable pictures and a few that were best forgotten. Within the confines of the wagon/darkroom, she and Cody had decided that drunken cowboys should never be allowed to pose for photographs. But in spite of the trials, Felicity had thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to practice her craft once again. She was even more disappointed than her subjects when the sun slipped too low in the sky to allow any more photographs.

"Just look at the two of them, Joshua," Felicity demanded that evening as they and all the other guests watched a beaming Asa guiding a radiant Blanche around the makeshift dance floor for the first dance. "See, I told you everything would work out if we could manage to get Asa here."

Josh gave her a resigned look. "You mean, if you could manage to get him here," he corrected.

She grinned up at him, unrepentant. "I did sign your name to the letter, too."

Then it was time for the best man and the matron of honor to join the bride and groom on the dance floor, so Josh took his wife in his arms and whirled her around to the music. After a few minutes, they were both damp from the exertion.

"I feel sorry for Asa," Josh remarked, looking up at the dark canopy of July sky. "It's awful hot for a wedding night."

"Mr. Logan!" Felicity cried, pretending to be shocked, but then she added wickedly, "I didn't think it ever got too hot for you."

"Mrs. Logan!" he cried right back, mocking her. But his expression quickly softened into a wondering smile. "You've certainly changed since you've been back from Philadelphia. The little girl I married would never have said a thing like that."

The training of a lifetime nudged at Felicity's conscience, and she found herself wanting to apologize for shocking him. Except that she hadn't shocked him, not really, nor had she displeased him. In fact, he was enjoying her, just the way he had been enjoying her-her, the new Felicity, and not the "little girl" he had married-ever since her return. But still, she had a few doubts.

"Joshua, do you ever… do you ever wish you had that little girl back?" she asked, feeling a slight apprehension over what his answer might be. After all, he had chosen that girl to be his wife, and he had grown to love her. Perhaps he preferred her meekness.

Josh frowned, sensing her genuine concern. "I still have her," he said. "You aren't so very different than you were before. I didn't mean to make it sound that way."

Without realizing it, they had stopped dancing and stood still in the middle of the floor while the other couples swirled around them.

"Come on," Josh said, suddenly noticing that they were presenting an obstacle to the gaiety. He took her hand and led her away from the crowd to a more secluded spot on the other side of Blanche's house. When they were alone, with the sound of the party only a dull roar, Josh turned her to face him and gently placed his hands on her shoulders. "Is something wrong?" he asked, not liking the worried frown that marred her perfect features.

Felicity hesitated a moment, not even certain if she could put her concerns into words that he could understand. "I found out something in Philadelphia, something about my mother, that I didn't understand," she said at last.

"What was it?" Josh asked, suddenly alarmed. God knew, he had learned more about his own mother than any child should have to know. But surely there were no ugly secrets about Claire Maxwell Storm.

"I found out that she was… that she was very different than the way my father had always described her to me," Felicity began.

"You don't remember her at all?" he asked.

Felicity shook her head. "Only vaguely. She was good and kind and soft and she smelled nice, but that's all. I don't even remember her face. But Papa always told me that she was a perfect lady, that she never raised her voice or did anything unseemly or shocking. He made her sound like a saint, and he wanted me to be just like her. But Joshua," Felicity said, her eyes wide with wonder, "she wasn't like that at all."

"Then what was she like?" Josh asked, still unable to understand her concern.

"Aunt Isabel said she was wild, that she said whatever she thought and that she wasn't afraid of anything or anybody," Felicity explained.

Josh smiled, thinking that he was beginning to understand. "Maybe it just seemed that way to Isabel because she's such a frightened little mouse."

"No, that's what I thought, too, at first, but Grandfather said the same thing. If he thought she was outspoken and rebellious, she must have been. And don't forget, she had the courage to defy Henry Maxwell and run off with a penniless nobody. The woman my father described to me would never have done something like that! Why did my father lie to me, Joshua?"

Felicity watched his face as he considered the answer to her question, a question that had haunted her for months, ever since she had learned the truth about her mother.

"He told you that your mother was like Isabel," Josh murmured, thinking aloud. "And he wanted you to be just like her, and not like your mother… That's it! He wanted you to be like Isabel," he concluded.

"But why?" Felicity asked, more puzzled than ever.

"It's simple," Josh explained. "Twenty years ago, your mother defied her father and ran away, never to be seen again. Twenty years later, Isabel is still by her father's side. When your mother died, you were all your father had left, and he wanted to keep you. He saw that you were like your mother, or at least enough like her to frighten him, so he tried to change you, to mold you into the obedient daughter who would stay with him."

Felicity mulled this over. "And that's why he never wanted me to talk to strangers, especially young men," she realized.

"And why he made you dress like a child. At first even I didn't realize how old you were. Remember?"

Felicity nodded. "Oh, Joshua, how foolish of him! I would never have done what my mother did."

"But he couldn't have known that. And neither can you. Who's to say what anyone will do when they're desperate?" As if he also was desperate, Josh drew Felicity into his arms and held her tightly against his chest. Suddenly he realized that he might have been speaking of his own mother. Once she, too, had faced a situation with which she could no longer deal, and she had run away, leaving behind her husband and her son. Although he would never be able to forgive her that or the evil she had done since, he could at least understand.

Felicity clung to him, grateful for the security of his arms and for the way he had helped her understand this final mystery about her family. As she considered his words, she wondered what she herself would have done if she had met Joshua while her father was still alive. Would they have fallen in love? Would she have been forced to forsake her father for Joshua the way her mother had done for her father? Glad that she would never have to make that decision, she gave her husband one last hug and drew reluctantly away.

"We'd better get back before we're missed," she said with a smile. "We don't want people thinking we sneaked off alone together."

"No, we don't want that," Josh agreed, grinning. "How scandalized they'd all be, an old married couple like us. But we will sneak away later, after Asa and Blanche disappear," he warned, leaning over to give her a lingering kiss full of promise.

When he lifted his lips from hers, she gazed up at him, wide-eyed. "I thought it was too hot for you, Mr. Logan," she said with false innocence.

He gave her a comic leer. "If you think it's hot now, just wait until later."

As they wandered back toward the celebration, hand in hand, Felicity allowed herself a moment of pure bliss unmarred by the worry that had continued to plague her for the past weeks. Although the preparations for Blanche's wedding had taken up most of her time, she still found herself counting the days and the weeks and the months.

The fatigue she had suffered no longer bothered her. In fact, she now felt better than she had in months. Even Blanche had commented on how well she looked when she had arrived to help dress the bride this morning. And Joshua had commented just last night that she seemed to be gaining weight… in all the right places.

Had his gray eyes been clouded with an unasked question? Did he share her suspicions, her fears? And if he did, why hadn't he said something to her? Probably for the same reason she had said nothing to him either. They were afraid. They were both afraid of even asking that question, as if to voice it might make it true.

But it couldn't be true, she reminded herself. She and Joshua had been so careful, following Dr. Strong's instructions to the letter.

"What are you thinking about?" Joshua asked, interrupting her thoughts. His handsome face reflected the concern in his voice.

Did her fear show? Could he sense it? She forced a smile to her lips. "I was just thinking about the heat," she lied.

"What do you hear from Philadelphia?" Asa asked Felicity one Sunday afternoon six weeks later. He and Blanche had just returned from their honeymoon and had come to tell the Logans all about their trip. The newlyweds exuded the unmistakable aura of two people who had discovered complete happiness at last.

Had she and Joshua once looked like that? Of course they had, she reminded herself, and not so very long ago, either. But in the weeks since Blanche's wedding, their relationship had grown gradually more strained as the weight of Felicity's secret seemed to crush her heart. She found herself short-tempered with Joshua as her fears threatened to overwhelm her.

Felicity felt like wincing when she saw the private, bedroom smiles that Asa and Blanche shared, smiles that no longer passed between her and Joshua. Now he rarely smiled at her at all. His gray eyes simply watched her in silent accusation.

"Felicity?" Josh prompted, frowning. "Asa asked you a question."

"What?" she said, momentarily flustered.

Asa smiled apologetically. They were all seated in the cool dimness of the parlor, which was shuttered against the late August heat. "I asked if you had heard from your grandfather lately."

"Oh yes," she hastily replied. "He writes to me quite often."

"He wants to be sure she knows how much attention her photographs are getting at the Exposition," Josh said, and Felicity thought she heard an accusation in his voice, too.

"It's only because I'm a woman," she explained, as much to Joshua as to Blanche and Asa. "There are thousands of photographs on display that are much better than mine, I'm sure."

"Don't be so modest, Felicity," Blanche chided. "You're a very talented photographer. Those pictures you took at our wedding are wonderful!"

"Her grandfather thinks she should return to Philadelphia and set up a studio," Joshua reported grimly. "People are clamoring to have their portraits made by her."

Asa and Blanche exchanged a look, silently informing each other that they now understood the reason for the tension they both sensed between their two friends. Josh must be disturbed over this invitation. Probably they had even argued over it.

Josh saw the look and decided it was just as well they thought that. He didn't want them to know the real reason he was so troubled. He didn't even want to know that reason himself.

Alarmed by all the undercurrents swarming in the room, Felicity rose abruptly. "Would you care for something cool to drink?" she asked.

"I'll help you," Blanche offered, rising also and following Felicity from the room.

Josh watched them go, studying Felicity's slender figure, a figure that was not as slender as it had been just a few weeks earlier. He knew she was pregnant, and the knowledge chilled his soul even as the twin maggots of guilt and fear ate away at him.

But what disturbed him even more was the fact that she hadn't told him. How long was she going to wait? Did she think he was bund? Or stupid? She hadn't bled once in the three months since she had been back. Soon even total strangers would be able to tell her condition just by looking at her. And he had given her plenty of opportunities, commenting on the changes in her figure, inquiring about her health. But she had ignored them all and kept her secret.

Why? The question was like a canker in his heart, because he could think of only one answer. There was something suspicious about the pregnancy. He had tried not to believe it, tried to deny even the possibility, but the evidence was too real to ignore. She must have conceived the child in Philadelphia for her to be so far along. That much was certain. He also knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that something had happened between Felicity and Richard, something she did not want to discuss or even think about.

At first her letters had been full of Richard this and Richard that. Then her letters had stopped entirely. Since she had come home, she hardly even spoke her cousin's name, and when Josh brought him up, she changed the subject, unable to hide her distress over discussing him.

Could the son of a bitch have raped her? Josh found that difficult to believe. Richard was not a man to resort to force. No, more likely he would have used seduction. The thought infuriated Josh beyond all reason, especially when he realized how he had paved the way for such an act by not writing to his wife while they were separated. Had she been seduced? Was that why she was ashamed? Was that why she hid her pregnancy, because the fatherhood was in doubt?

"Josh? Is something wrong?" Asa asked.

Josh jerked his attention back to the present, surprised to find that his hands were clenched into fists, fists that ached to choke the life out of Richard Winthrop. "No, of course not," Josh replied, forcing his body to relax. "What were you saying?"

"I was just asking if you'd heard anything more about that Mexican, Ortega?"

"No, no, I haven't," Josh replied, glad for a subject to take his mind off Felicity. "The last word was that he'd gone back to Mexico."

Out in the kitchen, Felicity gave Blanche a cup of lemonade to taste. "Is that sweet enough?"

Blanche tasted the golden liquid and nodded. "Just fine," she said with a beatific smile.

Felicity considered that smile, having noticed it earlier. In fact, Blanche had been grinning like a cat with its head in the cream pitcher since the moment she had arrived. "Married life certainly agrees with you," Felicity remarked with an understanding smile.

"Asa agrees with me," Blanche corrected. "Oh, we fight now and again. I guess we always will, but that just makes the good times better."

Felicity murmured her agreement, trying to recall the last time she and Joshua had argued. Not for weeks, she realized. Lately they tippy-toed around each other as if afraid of causing offense. No, she mentally corrected, as if one harsh word might explode the tension that quivered between them. Felicity was terrified to discover what damage such an explosion would cause.

"Felicity," Blanche said, interrupting these disturbing thoughts. "There's something… Oh, I know it's early days yet and I probably shouldn't say anything at all, but I think… I might be in a family way."

"Oh, Blanche!" Felicity cried, flinging her arms around her friend and fighting back the tears that threatened. Joy for Blanche and the pain of her own personal agony warred for predominance. She concentrated on Blanche. "You can't be very far along," Felicity judged when she and Blanche parted.

Blanche shook her head. "I've missed one month and I'm late on the second."

"But you've only been married for six weeks," Felicity reminded her with a teasing smile.

Blanche shrugged her indifference. "We got an early start."

"Oh, Blanche! What a scandal you'll cause," Felicity chided happily.

"I know," Blanche replied with a twinkle. "Isn't it delicious? And at my age, too!" But her smile suddenly faded. "I was afraid maybe I was too old at all: I'm almost thirty, you know."

"And how does Asa feel about having a little 'proof of affection'?" Felicity asked, using a popular euphemism.

"Well," Blanche admitted, "we haven't actually talked about it, although I think he suspects. A few days ago he asked me if I had already gone through the change. I guess he finally noticed that nothing had happened. When I assured him that I hadn't, he gave me a funny look, but he didn't ask any other questions. I'm just as glad he didn't. Maybe I'm superstitious, but I'm afraid to talk about it yet. Does that make any sense?"

"Oh yes, it does," Felicity replied, understanding only too well.

That night, as Felicity lay beside Joshua in the dark, she felt the familiar flutter of life within her womb. Instinctively her hand went to cover it, to cherish it. She had come to terms with her condition weeks ago. Why, then, did she still refuse to speak of it to Joshua? Perhaps because she was just as superstitious as Blanche. To speak of something so dangerous yet so desired was to invite the demons of destruction to do their work. To acknowledge her secret to Joshua would mean that she would have to face her fears and discuss them. How could she bear it if this child died, too? And she would have to consider the possibility of her own death and the effect it would have on Joshua. And how would he react? She had made him a promise, and she had broken that promise. Would he be angry? Would he hate her?

But he would be afraid, too, afraid of losing her. She was already so frightened herself that she wasn't certain she could deal with his fear, too. If they were both afraid, who would be strong? She did not have an answer, and she had asked the question so many times, she was no longer certain there even was one.

And she was a fool to think that her condition was a secret. Joshua knew; he must know. How many times had he asked her leading questions, that silent accusation darkening his eyes? But still she had not been able to speak of it. She was certain that to speak aloud the truth that they both knew was to invite disaster. To admit the existence of their child meant they would then have to plan for an event that terrified her. The very thought made her tremble.

But time was running out. Soon others would notice her pregnancy and comment on it. She was surprised Blanche hadn't mentioned it today. Luckily, her friend had been too concerned with her own joy to notice anything else.

Felicity turned her head on the pillow, listening to Joshua's breathing. He was not asleep. She could tell him right now. She should tell him right now. She opened her mouth, but no words came.

Josh lay in the darkness, listening to her tiny movements. Why didn't she speak? Why didn't she tell him? She must know that he already knew. Was she afraid he would count on his fingers and figure out that he was not the father?

And was that why she had come home, why she had been so eager to be the perfect wife and lover, so she could pass Winthrop's bastard off as his child? Why then had she brought the sheaths if she was already pregnant? Because, the cold voice of reason replied, she knew you would never make love to her unless you thought she was safe. Now she can claim a failure in Dr. Strong's devices.

As furious as such thoughts made him, as agonizing as the thought of Felicity with Winthrop was, Josh nursed yet another, even more horrible thought. Some small part of him wanted the child to be Winthrop's bastard because he knew that if the child was his, Felicity might die. Her death was a burden he did not know if he could bear.

Never to see her, never to hold her again. How would he live? In his pain, he reached for her, drawing her close in an almost desperate embrace. His mouth found hers, and her eager response stirred other, equally desperate emotions.

Swiftly, he removed her nightdress. Their bodies were already damp from the sultry August night, and his hands glided over the moist satin of her skin, tracing the swells and valleys of her body. His own need was fierce, born not of passion but of the desire to reassert his claim-on her body and her love.

Felicity welcomed his ferocity, needing to feel his strength, hoping that it would renew her own. She clung to him feverishly, meeting him kiss for kiss, until her blood roared in her ears.

Then, suddenly, he pulled away. "I'll be right back," he said, using the phrase that told her he was going to reach into the drawer of the bedside table.

"No, don't," she said, unwilling to let him go, unwilling to let the charade go on a moment longer. She felt his body grow tense.

"What?" he asked hoarsely.

"I said, don't go. You don't need those things," Felicity said, her own voice hoarse, and quivery with the strain of confession.

At last, Josh thought, relief and dread flooding through him. "Why not?"

"I… because… you know why not!" she cried in frustration, angry that he would make her say the words when he must know as well as she did.

"Yes, I know," he said, slumping wearily back against the pillows, the heat of his passion rapidly cooling. "There's no use closing the barn door after the horse is gone."

Stung by the bitterness in his voice, Felicity drew away from him, wishing she could see his expression. He didn't sound angry, but she feared this cold cynicism even more.

"Why did you finally decide to tell me?" he asked tonelessly. "Did Blanche figure it out today? Were you afraid other people would start to notice, too?"

"No! She didn't… That isn't why!" Felicity insisted.

"Then why?"

Felicity shivered in spite of the torpid heat of the room. "I was afraid to tell you…" she began, wondering how she could make him understand.

"Afraid?" Josh pounced on the word, a confirmation of his worst nightmares. "Why were you afraid?" he demanded, sitting up so that he loomed over her in the darkness. "Were you afraid that I'd figure out I wasn't the father?"

"What!" Felicity cried in horror. She couldn't have heard him right. This couldn't be happening. She must be having a nightmare.

"I hope you made Winthrop work for it," Josh said, his hate and bitterness pouring out in a flood he was unable to stop. "A man appreciates a woman a lot more if she keeps him guessing a while."

Felicity made an anguished sound as his words hit her with the force of a body blow. "You can't think…" she whispered.

"What else am I supposed to think? You show up on my doorstep out of a clear blue sky, all ready to forgive and forget all my past 'sins.' Then I realize you're pregnant, except you don't say a word to me about it, even when I practically beg you to. Is that why you came back? So you wouldn't have a baby ten months after your husband left you?"

"NO!" she screamed as sobs wracked her body. As much as she had feared his reaction, she had never expected. anything so ugly as these absurd accusations. She hugged herself against the agony.

Hearing her sobs, Josh cursed, turning away from her and fumbling to light the lamp. He had to see her. He told himself that by seeing her, he would be able to see the truth.

Felicity started at the flare of the match, glancing up to see Josh's powerful body outlined in the golden glow of the flame. Through the haze of her tears, she saw him turn and rake her nakedness with a merciless stare. Defensively, she snatched up the sheet that lay tangled at the foot of the bed and covered herself.

"Did you think I wouldn't notice?" he asked, contemptuous of her effort to hide herself. "I know your body as well as I know my own. I knew right away, as soon as you came back, that something was different, but I wouldn't let myself believe it, not at first. And then you wouldn't mention Winthrop's name. Every time I did, you turned white, and pretty soon, I figured it out."

"You can't believe that, Joshua!" Felicity sobbed, struggling to a sitting position. "You can't believe that I'd be unfaithful to you!"

The question was like a knife in his heart, and in self-defense, he lashed out at her. "What else am I supposed to think? What else could have happened between you and Winthrop to upset you so much?"

"He…" Felicity began, scrubbing the tears from her face and choking back her sobs. She had to make him believe her. "He kissed me and… he asked me to marry him."

Joshua's face twisted in rage. "Marry you? I hope you reminded him that you're already married!"

"Of course I did!" Felicity replied, equally angry. "And that's when I decided I had to come home."

"When you realized you were pregnant," he accused.

"No! I didn't know it then!"

"Are you trying to pretend you got pregnant after you came home?" he challenged. "That's a little hard to believe when I've been so careful…"

"You weren't careful that last night in Philadelphia!" she cried, twisting the knife in his heart.

The agony of the truth made him shudder. That was it, the thing he feared most, even more than the thought that she had betrayed him. He could forgive such a betrayal far more easily than he could forgive himself for placing her in so much danger.

"Oh, Lissy, I'm so sorry " he said, his voice an agonized whisper as he drew her into his arms. He held her rigid body against his chest, soothing her with his hands, and murmuring his broken explanations into the soft cloud of her golden hair. "I never really thought… about Winthrop… Please forgive me… I just couldn't… I know you'd never… I'm sorry…"

But she didn't believe him. The pain of his accusations still throbbed in her heart. How could he have said those things if he didn't think they were true? And how could he have said those things to her at all if he really loved her?

Gently, he lowered her back against the pillows, tenderly kissing away her tears. His hands continued to soothe her, stroking aside the sheet to caress her, and soon he was making love to her. He was infinitely patient and careful, worshiping her body with his own, but she could not respond. Her heart was frozen in her chest, freezing all her emotions. In spite of his persistent urgings, she lay unmoving beneath him. Afterward, he held her, pulling her close with a strangled moan that told her he knew the harm he had caused.

But he did not speak of it. To speak of it was to admit the depth of their pain, so neither of them spoke of it, not that night, nor the next day nor the next. Felicity had feared childbirth, had feared the death of her baby, had feared Joshua's anger and his fear, but nothing had prepared her for this cold emptiness that now pervaded her life.

The love she had been so certain of, the love that had sustained her, Joshua's love, had died. She no longer saw even a spark of it when he looked at her, his gray eyes dark and shadowed. And when he told her his plans, she was certain she had lost him.

"Felicity," he said to her a few days later, "I think you should go back to Philadelphia."

Chapter Fifteen

Felicity stared at Joshua in horror, unable to believe what he had just said to her. It was late evening, and they were sitting in the parlor, waiting for the air to cool enough for them to go to bed. But despite the heat, Joshua was pacing the room restlessly, pausing only to make his shocking suggestion that she return to Philadelphia.

"Why?" she asked, certain she did not want to hear the answer. She knew that the last place the Joshua she thought she knew would send her was Philadelphia. Unfortunately, she was very much afraid that she did not know this Joshua at all.

Josh paused again, forcing himself to look at the hurt expression on her lovely face. "I've been thinking about this a lot," he said, grossly understating the fact. In truth, he had thought of little else since she had finally admitted her condition to him and shamed him into admitting to himself that he was responsible for it. "You should have a doctor this time." Unable to stand the pain in her eyes a moment longer, he turned away.

Felicity winced at the way he turned away, as if he could not stand the sight of her. And that was probably true, if he still believed those awful things about her and Richard. She tried not to think of that, though, and concentrated on what Joshua had said. He was right. She would need a doctor this time. "There are doctors in San Antonio," she pointed out, trying to keep her voice steady. "I could go there, or even to Dallas."

Josh had already thought of that, of course. "I know, but remember what Asa said about the doctors in Philadelphia. They're the best in the world." He stood with his back to her, gazing into the empty hearth, his hands jammed into his pockets. The idea of sending her back to Philadelphia now, when things were so shaky between them, was tearing him apart. That old shark Maxwell was bound to sense her feelings and play on them. She was already somewhat of a celebrity in that town. As soon as the baby was born, Maxwell would set her up in a studio and make her the toast of Philadelphia. If she was still alive…

Josh shook off the horror of that thought and forced his attention back to the present. "I'm sure your grandfather would be glad for you to come back and stay as long as you like," he continued, masking his true feelings on the matter.

Felicity only half heard him as she tried to weigh his words for hidden meaning. The doctors in Philadelphia were the best in the world, but was that his real reason for sending her there? Or did he still doubt that the baby was his?

"Joshua," she began, unable to keep her voice from wavering slightly. "You believe me about the baby, don't you?"

"Of course!" he said, whirling to face her. Her question seared his soul, reminding him of the pain his insane accusations had caused her. "I told you I was sorry. Can't we forget I ever said that?" he asked, running a hand impatiently through his silver hair.

"Y… yes," she said reluctantly, effectively silenced. She knew he was still not certain, but his insistence that he believed her made it impossible for her to defend herself. How could she argue with someone who claimed to agree with her?

But there was still some hope. He had not mentioned his own part in this plan. "Are you going to come with me?" she asked, clinging to this final straw.

Josh studied her face a moment, trying to read her thoughts. She must hate him for what he had said to her. How could he blame her when he hated himself? Would she want his company during the months until the baby came? He at least owed her the choice. "If you… that's a long time for me to be away from the ranch, but… if you want me to come, I will," he offered stiffly, realizing suddenly how easy it would be for him to leave the land he loved so much to be with the woman he loved even more.

Felicity blinked against the sting of tears as she considered his perfunctory offer. Her worst fears were true. He did not want to go with her. He really was sending her away. But she would not cry in front of him. He had falsely accused her of adultery, had tried to deny his own child, and now he was sending her away, but she would die before she would let him see how he had hurt her. She still had some pride left. All this time she had loved him with mindless devotion. She had even humbled herself by returning to him without being summoned. What a fool she had been! But no longer.

She lifted her chin, proudly covering her humiliation. "That won't be necessary. As you say, that's a long time for you to be away from the ranch. You can… you can come later," she proposed, a small lie to protect herself from having to hear him admit he was not ever going to come.

Josh nodded, stung by her rejection but knowing he could expect nothing else. "When do you think the baby will arrive?" he asked, his voice husky from the emotions churning within him.

"Around Christmas," she said. Calculating the date was relatively simple since she knew the exact day she had conceived.

Christmas. It seemed awfully far away from this sweltering August night, Josh thought. "I'll be there long before Christmas," he promised, but she would not meet his eye.

"How soon do you want me to leave?" she asked, deciding not to comment on his lie.

Josh frowned at her choice of words. He did not want her to leave at all, but he had no other alternative. "I don't know. I guess you shouldn't wait much longer. It'll be dangerous to travel if you're too far along."

"I'd like to wait until the weather breaks. A few more weeks, at least," Felicity said, trying to be practical although her heart was breaking even as she made her plans.

"Fine," Josh agreed, thankful that he would have her for even this small amount of time. "That will give you time to contact your grandfather. I think you should ask him to send his car for you again, so you can travel in comfort."

"Yes," Felicity said, no longer caring. She had to get away from him while she could still maintain her composure. She rose. "I'm tired. I think I'll go to bed now."

Josh watched her move toward the bedroom door and disappear behind it. He wanted to follow, wanted to take her in his arms and tell her how sorry he was, but he did not. She wouldn't want his comfort. Remembering only too well how she had reacted the last time he had tried to make her understand, he went instead to the liquor cabinet and poured himself a shot of whiskey.

Almost a month later, Josh rode wearily home to his ranch. Several days earlier he had put Felicity on a train to Philadelphia, Just as he had predicted, Henry Maxwell was thrilled at the prospect of having her come for a visit, although Josh strongly suspected she had neglected to tell him the real reason she was coming. Maxwell would know the moment he set eyes on her, however, Josh thought grimly. And so would Winthrop. They would both know that she carried Josh's child.

Josh consoled himself with the knowledge that in spite of the way he had hurt her, she was still his wife, and their child forever bound them together. That child would bring them back together, too. If it was born alive, Josh periodically reminded himself. And if Felicity survived. Like one probing a sore tooth, he tortured himself with such reminders as punishment for what he had done to the woman he loved.

But he also remembered her last kiss, the desperate way she had clung to him at the station, and the tears that had sparkled in her eyes when she asked one last time, "You'll be there before the baby is born, won't you?"

And he had promised yet again that nothing could keep him away. Oddly, he had gotten the impression that she did not quite believe him. So engrossed was he with this puzzle that at first he didn't notice the commotion in the ranch yard.

"Boss! Thank God you're home!" Grady called, catching sight of him.

What appeared to be all of Josh's men were milling about in the yard, saddling horses and loading gear onto pack animals. Josh spurred his horse, racing the final distance to the ranch.

"What's going on?" Josh demanded, reining up in the midst of the men.

"It's Ortega," Grady explained. "He's back. He and some men came to the ranch this afternoon and… and they got Candace."

"What do you mean, they 'got' Candace?" Josh asked in alarm, swiftly dismounting.

"They took her, kidnapped her. They left a note, but it's kind of hard to read. Something about five thousand, but we can't tell if he wants dollars or pesos. Part of it's in Spanish, and the English isn't very good."

"Where is it?" Josh asked, fighting the terror that gripped his heart. A hundred visions of Candace, the woman who had been more than a mother to him, flashed through his mind. What would Ortega do with her?

"In the house," Grady replied, leading the way. "Cookie and Candace were the only ones here when they came. Cookie got beat up pretty bad, but I think he'll be all right. They ransacked the house," he warned as Josh entered to see the mess. "We figured they were looking for money or something."

"Thank God Felicity wasn't here," Josh murmured, wondering how he could have stood the double horror. If they had taken her, too…

He glanced over the note. "Looks like Ortega's gotten mighty greedy," Josh remarked when he had managed to decipher most of it.

"You're not going to pay him, are you?" Grady demanded.

"No, I'm going to hang him," Josh replied with cold fury, crumpling the note. "Can Cookie talk? I want to ask him some questions."

Unfortunately, Cookie did not have much to add to the meager information in the note except to be able to point out in which direction the bandits had made their escape. Since the tracks clearly showed in the dusty ground, such information was worthless. The only thing left to do was to follow them and hope the tracks remained as easy to read.

Josh asked Grady to scare him up something to eat and have a fresh horse saddled for him while he changed his clothes. He was still chewing his hasty meal as he made his way down the front steps to join the rest of the men.

"Look, Mr. Logan," Cody said as soon as Josh appeared. The boy pointed off toward the north, where Josh saw a lone man carrying a saddle and approaching the ranch on foot. The sight of a man on foot in this country was alarming, signifying as it did that some trouble had befallen him. The sight of this man was doubly so.

"It's that Jeremiah fellow," Grady said in outrage. He reached for the rifle hanging from his saddle, but Josh stopped him.

"No shooting," he ordered, swinging up into his own saddle and spurring his horse toward where Jeremiah Logan labored toward them.

Seeing Josh approaching, Jeremiah wearily dropped the saddle and waited, his hands hanging limply by his sides. Josh could easily see that his half-brother had been walking for quite a distance, but before Josh could greet him, Jeremiah said, "I'm too late, aren't I? Ortega's already been here."

Josh nodded grimly. "This afternoon."

Jeremiah swore viciously. "He got her, I guess."

Josh nodded again. "We were just going after them."

"I don't suppose you'd like some help?" Jeremiah asked.

"Sure," Josh replied, realizing that Jeremiah had more right on this mission than even he himself did. Josh kicked free of his left stirrup. "Climb up. Leave the saddle here. I'll send someone back for it."

When Jeremiah was seated on the horse behind him, Josh turned his mount and headed back for the ranch.

"The tracks are pretty clear. We shouldn't have too much trouble following," Josh remarked.

"You won't need to track them," Jeremiah replied. "I know where they went."

Josh glanced over his shoulder in surprise.

"I stayed with Ortega after the fire," Jeremiah explained. "I wanted to be sure he'd given up, but as soon as we got away, he started talking about coming back. When he told me he was going to take your wife-"

"My wife!" Josh echoed, suddenly realizing what he had overlooked before. Why would Ortega have kidnapped a Negro servant? His intention had been to take Mrs. Joshua Logan. What perfect revenge that would have been. Josh shuddered in horror at what might have happened if the bandit had come a scant week earlier. But then a new horror struck him: Ortega would have had a reason to keep Felicity alive. He had no such reason where Candace was concerned. "My wife wasn't here," he told Jeremiah. "I just got back from putting her on a train to Philadelphia. Ortega kidnapped your mother."

Jeremiah swore again. "My God, he'll kill her if he finds out who she is! I stayed with him, trying to talk him out of this plan. When I couldn't, I left and headed here to warn you, but my horse went lame. Ortega didn't know where I was going, but he wasn't too happy that I left him."

Sensing the new urgency, Josh spurred his horse once more, taking them quickly back to the yard. The other men were waiting, wary and alert, guns at the ready, to greet the newcomer. "Gentlemen, I believe you all remember Jeremiah Logan," Josh said, ignoring their murmurs of surprise at the name. "He's going with us to get his mother back."

"His mother?" the men echoed incredulously, but Josh ignored that, too.

"Cody, go fetch Jeremiah's saddle and cut him out the best horse you can find."

The moon was high, illuminating the dark prairie in a kind of ghostly brilliance, when Jeremiah called a halt to the search. "The camp is up in there," he said, pointing to a huge outcropping of rocks several miles distant, the result of some prehistoric cataclysm.

"He's lying, boss," Grady insisted. "There's no way to get up in there."

Josh examined the possibilities skeptically and came to the same conclusion.

"There's a path up the other side," Jeremiah explained, undaunted. "I found it by accident when I was scouting this area for hiding places. It's steep and dangerous, but it's there. And so is Ortega. See the smoke?"

After a few minutes of careful scrutiny, the other men could distinguish a faint wisp of smoke threading up into the darkened sky.

Sensing that they now believed him, Jeremiah turned to Josh. "They'll have guards posted. We should wait here until the moon goes down. When it's dark enough, we'll move in close. Your men can watch the trail to make sure none of them get away. I figure one man has a chance of making it up to the top. I'll see if I can't talk Ortega into surrendering."

But Josh was shaking his head. "If one man can make it up, two men can. I'm going with you."

Jeremiah made an impatient sound. "She's my mother."

"She was a mother to me, too. You don't think I'll wait down here while you get all the glory, do you?" Josh demanded.

"Damn it, I'm not after glory," Jeremiah insisted, but he stopped when he saw Josh's understanding smile.

"She'll be mighty pleased when she hears what you've done," Josh said.

Jeremiah muttered something Josh didn't catch, and then he said, "I reckon I owe her that much… We better rest the horses," he added, dismounting.

The others followed suit, removing their saddles, too. Josh noticed that Jeremiah paused before pulling off his own saddle, as if gathering the strength to do so. Then he remembered how Jeremiah had approached the ranch.

"How long were you walking?" he asked, stepping over to take the saddle from Jeremiah's unresisting grasp.

"Two days," Jeremiah said wearily.

Two days, carrying a fifty-pound saddle. Josh shook his head. "You must be beat. Why don't you catch a nap while we're waiting? I'll call you when it gets good and dark," Josh offered.

Jeremiah glanced warily at the other men, as if he did not quite trust them.

"Don't worry," Josh assured him. "They won't bother you." For a moment Josh thought that Jeremiah might not quite trust him either, but then the black man dragged his saddle away from the horses and stretched his long body out on the ground, using the saddle as a pillow. Josh noticed the careful way he worked the stiffness from his ruined right arm.

"Does that arm give you much trouble?" Josh asked in genuine concern as he hunkered down beside him.

Jeremiah's wariness instantly returned. "Not since I learned to shoot with my left hand," he replied, eyeing Josh cautiously.

"Damn, I wish we'd had a doctor to set it," Josh muttered. "I hated like hell to mess with it myself. I probably crippled you because I didn't know what I was doing."

Jeremiah did not reply for a long moment during which he studied Josh's face as if measuring his sincerity. "I went to a doctor down in Mexico. He said he couldn't of done any better himself," Jeremiah admitted, no trace of bitterness in his voice. "He said I was lucky to have any use of it at all."

Josh showed his amazement. "I thought you blamed me."

"I wanted to," Jeremiah said simply.

Josh nodded his understanding. He gave his half-brother a friendly pat on the shoulder. "You'd better get some sleep. We've got a long night ahead."

"Josh?" Jeremiah said, stopping Josh before he could move away. "There's something you should know about this kidnapping. Ortega wanted your wife; I told you that. But he didn't just want the ransom. He wanted revenge, too, and the men he hired… He was going to turn her over to them to… to use…"

Josh shuddered as the horror of it washed over him in sickening waves. Felicity… He saw her beautiful face for just a moment and thanked God once again that she was safe. But then he remembered another who was in danger. "Candace?" he asked.

"I don't know what they'll do to her," Jeremiah said, the tightness of his voice revealing his own horror. "I doubt that they'll find an old black woman as appealing as a young white one, but who knows about men like that? And they may have killed her already…"

"We'll get her back," Josh promised, praying that he was right.

Much later, Josh crouched in the shadows at the edge of Ortega's camp, his pistol cocked and ready, aimed at Ortega's heart. Two guards lay dead at the top of the trail, and no one within the circle of the firelight even suspected that their hideout had been invaded.

From his hiding place, Josh could see Candace, gagged and tied hand and foot, but perfectly still. No one was paying any attention to her, but Josh could not tell if that was because they had lost interest or because she was dead.

The outlaws were arguing, their shouts liberally sprinkled with Spanish curses, and Josh understood enough to know they were angry because they had gotten the wrong woman.

At that moment, Jeremiah stepped casually into the firelight. "You fellows having a problem?" he inquired.

The argument instantly ceased as everyone turned to face the black man. Ortega broke into a new spate of cursing. "How did you get here?" he demanded.

Jeremiah shrugged with unconcern. "Your guards were asleep. Lucky for you I wasn't Logan. You'd all be dead now." He glanced with apparent nonchalance around the camp until his gaze lighted on the captive. "That's not Logan's wife," he pointed out impudently.

To Josh's great relief, Candace's eyes opened at this, and Josh saw them widen in recognition. No one else seemed to notice, however. They were too concerned with Jeremiah's presence.

"You can't expect Logan to pay a ransom for that," Jeremiah said, making a contemptuous gesture toward his mother.

Ortega grew defensive, unwilling to admit he had made a mistake in kidnapping the old woman. "She raised him. He will have loyalty."

"For a darky? And an old one, at that?" Jeremiah sneered.

"If a nigger dies, you just go find another one. That's the way it works now that we're free. 'Free' means we don't cost the whites nothing. Some colored folks say we were better off as slaves. At least the whites took care of us then, but those days are gone. She's worthless now. Logan won't give you a cent for her."

This started a new argument in which the other men reminded Ortega of his promises. Now they had no money and no woman, since they considered Candace unfit for their attentions.

Suddenly, Ortega silenced them all by drawing his pistol and waving it wildly, sending them all racing for cover. His black eyes glittered furiously as they searched the camp for any hints of further rebellion. At last his gaze settled on Candace. "I will kill the bitch, then," he said, taking aim.

"NO!" Jeremiah cried, just as Josh prepared to shoot the Mexican down. Ortega whirled to face the black man.

"No?" Ortega repeated suspiciously. "Why do you care what I do with her?"

"She's harmless. Let her go," Jeremiah urged as Josh debated shooting Ortega in the back. Every instinct deplored such an act, but he could not let the bandit shoot Candace or Jeremiah.

"Why did you come back?" Ortega asked, his suspicions growing. "To plead for the life of an old woman?"

"No!" Josh shouted from his hiding place. "He brought Logan here!"

Ortega turned, firing blindly at the sound of Josh's voice. Josh felt something strike his chest, but he fired back, and a splotch of red appeared on the bandit's shirtfront. Then the night exploded as guns roared everywhere at once.

In the confusion, Josh caught sight of Jeremiah, his pistol still holstered, dragging Candace off into the shadows and out of the line of fire. Josh aimed carefully, keeping his half-brother covered as the black man shielded Candace with his own body.

Josh kept shooting, switching to his spare gun when the first one clicked empty. His shirt was clinging, soaking wet, and some distant part of his brain registered that fact, but he took no time to analyze it. Then he thought he heard familiar voices shouting his name, but he could not be certain. A mysterious fog had settled over the clearing, distorting sights and sounds.

His spare gun clicked empty, too, but when he tried to open the cylinder to reload, his fingers fumbled and the gun slipped from his grasp. He reached to pick it up, but it was just too far away.

"Josh! Josh, are you all right?" Grady's voice asked through the fog. Josh opened his mouth to reply, but no sound came out. "Oh, my God," Grady's voice said, and then the fog closed in, dark and silent.

Felicity stared bleakly out the window as the train pulled into the Philadelphia station. Self-consciously, she smoothed the fabric of her homemade Mother Hubbard over the obvious mound of her stomach. All the beautiful clothes she had gotten during her last visit to the city were now packed away, too small for her burgeoning figure.

Richard would lift his elegant eyebrows when he saw her gown, but then he would discern the reason for it. Heaven only knew what his reaction would be then. Felicity sighed wearily at the thought. After her long trip, she simply did not feel up to dealing with him at all. Unfortunately, she was afraid she would not have a choice. Knowing Richard, he was bound to be meeting her train.

As Simon Duvalier bustled about the car, moving her luggage so it could be easily unloaded, Felicity was reminded of her first visit here and how Joshua had stood by her side. Thoughts of Joshua caused an unpleasant throb in the general region of her heart, which she would have thought was past feeling any pain at all.

What was she going to tell Richard and her grandfather? How could she admit to them that Joshua had sent her away when she couldn't even admit it to herself quite yet? But she didn't have to tell them, not at first. She could tell them Joshua's lie. He had sent her here for expert medical attention. He would be joining her before the baby's birth.

And maybe he really would come, she found herself thinking. Maybe all her fears and suspicions were ridiculous notions caused by her delicate condition. Hadn't she once thought that Joshua and Blanche were having an affair and wanted her to die so they could be together? Pregnant women were not always completely rational, as she knew from experience. And he had promised, several times during the past month and again at the station just before she left.

But then she recalled the way he had treated her all during that month. He had been polite and solicitous of her, but aloof and cold, too, never touching her if he could help it. Only in the dark of night had they come together at all, and although her body had responded to his touch, her heart had recoiled at the cautious way he held himself back, as if unwilling to give too much.

The memory brought tears to her eyes, and she was wiping them away when Simon announced, "We're here, Mrs. Logan. I believe that's Mr. Winthrop coming for you."

"Oh, perfect," Felicity muttered, rising from her seat just as Richard burst into the car parlor.

"Felicity!" Richard exclaimed. He looked just as elegant as she remembered, every raven lock combed to perfection, his suit uncreased and exquisitely tailored, his face flawlessly handsome. He spread his arms wide as if to embrace her, and Felicity noticed he was carrying a bouquet of flowers.

The way his welcoming smile gradually changed into a look of stunned surprise was almost comical. The flowers slipped unheeded from his hand and tumbled to the floor. His arms dropped to his sides.

"Felicity," he whispered, aghast. "What has he done to you?"

Felicity experienced a quick flash of fury at his reaction, but before she could give Richard the edge of her tongue, her grandfather spoke from behind them.

"That's fairly obvious, isn't it?" Maxwell asked, stepping around his nephew into the car.

"Grandfather!" Felicity cried in delight, rushing to kiss him. "I didn't expect you to come to the station."

"And why not?" he asked, feigning offense. Indeed, when he stepped away again and she got a good look at him, she realized he was now completely recovered from the malaise he had previously suffered. Before her stood the same Henry Maxwell who had built a legendary financial empire.

"You look wonderful," she said with a smile.

"And you look… different," he said with a significant glance at her protruding stomach. Almost overnight, several weeks ago, her figure had changed. Suddenly she looked pregnant, and her long-kept secret was now public knowledge.

"Yes, I-" she began, placing one hand defensively on her belly, but her grandfather didn't wait for her to explain.

"When do you expect it?" he asked, his canny eyes narrowing speculatively.

"Around Christmas."

"Well," he said, growing cheerful again, "at least one good thing happened to you when you were here last spring."

Ignoring the strangled noise that Richard made behind him, Maxwell led Felicity back to the settee where she had been sitting. "But why has Joshua sent you back here?" he asked as they sat down. "Should you be traveling in your condition?"

Felicity felt herself blanch at her grandfather's unintentional choice of words, but she recovered quickly. "You remember I told you that our first child died?" she began, looking down at where her hands were clenched in her lap so he would not see her eyes as she told this half-truth. "We want this child to have every chance. Joshua thought… we both thought that the doctors here would be better."

"Yes, of course, I understand completely," Maxwell said, patting her hands reassuringly. "But why didn't young Joshua come with you? I thought it odd when you said he wasn't coming, and now that I know the reason for your visit, it seems doubly so."

Felicity managed a smile and forced herself to meet her grandfather's eyes. "He couldn't be away from the ranch that long, but hell be here before the baby is born," she said, reciting her carefully prepared speech. For one horrible second she thought her grandfather was going to challenge her statement, but then he, too, smiled.

"Of course," he said, so blandly that Felicity could not tell whether he believed her or not. Then he turned to where Richard still stood. "Are you going to stand there gaping all day, boy?" he inquired. "You act as if you had never seen a lady who was enceinte before."

Richard visibly shook himself, flushing at the rebuke. "I'm sorry," he said tightly. "I didn't mean to be rude. It was just such a… a shock." He made a great show of picking up the flowers he had dropped and rearranging them. By the time he had them orderly again, he had recovered his poise. "Welcome home, Cousin Felicity," he said quite formally, presenting her with the bouquet.

"Thank you," Felicity replied through stiff lips. Although she managed to maintain her own poise, inside she was seething over Richard's reaction to her condition. He had no right to be angry. He was acting as if she had somehow betrayed him. Their mutual fury seemed to amuse her grandfather, who coughed to cover a chuckle.

"The carriage is waiting if you're ready," Maxwell said after a long moment of silence during which Richard and Felicity glared at each other.

To Felicity's annoyance, Richard lingered at her grandfather's house long after their arrival, and she soon discerned that he was waiting for a chance to speak with her alone. When she recalled their last meeting and the strained goodby after he had escorted her to the Maxwell family railroad car for her departure two short days after he had proposed marriage to her, she dreaded having another private conversation with him again. Unfortunately, she could not avoid it.

After some less than subtle maneuvering by her grandfather, Felicity found herself closeted with Richard in the front parlor.

"How have you been, Richard?" she asked perfunctorily.

To his credit, Richard had apparently come to terms with her pregnancy, and he seemed determined to put their relationship on some kind of normal footing. "Considering that I fell in love with the wrong woman, I've been doing very well," he said with a self-mocking grin.

"Richard, please," Felicity begged him.

But Richard shook his head. "There's no use pretending that I'm not in love with you. That's something we're both going to have to live with, but I promise not to make a nuisance of myself."

"I never wanted to hurt you," Felicity said, instantly contrite. She had forgotten that Richard had been hurt by all of this, too. "You knew I was married the moment you met me, and I never gave you any reason to believe-"

"Ah, but I loved you even before we met, my dear cousin," Richard confessed with a wan smile. "Haven't you figured it out yet? I wanted the Maxwell millions. Uncle Henry is planning to leave you everything he owns."

"Not everything, surely!" she protested. "There's Isabel and you're his nephew…"

"A pittance." Richard dismissed the thought with a wave of his hand. "I wanted everything. I was determined to win my cousin Felicity's hand, even if she turned out to be a homely drab. And when she turned out to be the loveliest of creatures…" He shrugged eloquently. But when she would have protested again, he held up his slender hand to stop her. "I promised not to be a nuisance, and I won't be. You will never hear another confession of undying devotion from these lips," he vowed dramatically. Then his expression changed to one of infinite sadness. "I would, however, like to be your friend. If you can find it in your heart…"

She studied his face for any trace of chicanery, but she found none. Her heart was touched by his sincerity and his pain. How much it must have cost him to make such a confession, she thought as she saw him reach out a hand toward her beseechingly. How could she refuse to forgive him? And she really would need a friend in the days ahead. "Of course," she said, placing her hand in his.

His beautiful face contorted for a moment in mingled joy and relief. Then he lifted her hand to his lips and placed a chastely worshipful kiss on it. But before she could be offended, he released it, grinning boyishly.

"We'll have such fun," he said. "Friendly fun. The first thing we'll do is go to the Exposition so you can finally see your photographs, and there's a new play in town…"

Felicity could not help but smile at his enthusiasm. She really had no desire to see her photographs, not when she knew the painful memories they would stir, but how could she offend Richard when he had humbled himself so to win her friendship? Then she recalled a legitimate excuse.

"But I can't go out like this," she reminded him, indicating the mound of her stomach. No lady would parade her delicate condition before an unsuspecting populace.

Richard waved away her objection. "We'll call in the dressmaker first thing tomorrow. When she's finished, no one will even suspect."

With the last of her excuses overruled, Felicity had no choice but to agree.

* * *

"It's a lucky thing for you that Miz Blanche is a respectable married lady now, so she can stay here, Mr. Josh. I'd never be able to take care of you myself," Candace said with forced cheerfulness as she changed the bandage covering the bullet wound on his chest.

Josh looked up from his bed and gave her a weak smile. "What makes you think I want either one of you taking care of me?" he rasped.

Blanche accepted the pile of soiled bandages from Candace and gave Josh a disapproving look. "I'm sure you don't want either one of us here, not when you've got a perfectly good wife who would love to have the job if only she knew about it."

"Blanche," Josh said in warning, but his voice was so soft that she almost didn't hear him.

"Miz Blanche, please don't," Candace chastened gently, and Blanche turned away from the bed to dispose of the bandages, wagging her head in disapproval. As soon as she had heard the news about Candace's kidnapping, she and Asa had ridden to the Rocking L, making themselves available to help in any way. Mostly they had simply waited until the bedraggled but victorious Rocking L crew had ridden in late the next morning.

Blanche did not think she would ever forget the sight of that black man cradling Josh's limp body as gently as if he had been a sleeping child. The men told her that after the fight, Jeremiah had carried his wounded brother down the steep trail and all the long ride home, permitting no one to relieve him of his burden.

Jeremiah now waited out in the parlor, refusing to leave even though every minute he spent at the ranch increased his chances of being recognized and arrested. He would not go until he was certain Josh would recover his wound. Unfortunately, Blanche could not yet give him such an assurance.

She slipped quietly out of the sickroom into the parlor, where Jeremiah, Asa, and several of the other men waited anxiously.

"How is he?" Asa asked as soon as she appeared.

"The wound is festering. He's running a high fever, and he's lost a lot of blood. He's so weak…" She let her voice trail off, unwilling to speak aloud of the danger they all understood too well.

"We ought to send for Felicity," Asa insisted, but Blanche quickly shushed him.

"Not so loud! He'll hear you. The last time I mentioned it, he almost got up out of the bed to stop me. He's so worried about that girl that if he even thinks we've sent for her, I don't know what he'll do. Besides, if he…" Her voice caught and she turned away, discreetly wiping the moisture from her eyes. "Felicity might not be able to get here in time anyway."

Her husband came and put his arm around her shoulders in a comforting gesture.

Back in the bedroom, Candace tenderly adjusted the covers over her patient, reminding Josh of the many times she had performed that task for him when he was a young child. He managed another weak smile before his feverish thoughts returned to his main concern. "Don't let them send for her," he murmured.

"I won't," Candace promised, smoothing the silver hair from his burning brow.

"It's too dangerous for her to travel, and I don't want her upset…" he continued.

"Shhh, don't talk," Candace soothed, but he could not hear her. He had slipped into delirium.

"She can't lose the baby," he muttered. "She'll never forgive me…"

"She won't lose it," Candace crooned. "Be quiet now." She stayed with him until he settled into a deep sleep, and then she joined the others in the parlor.

Everyone's gaze immediately flew to her as she came out of the bedroom. "He's sleeping now," she reported reassuringly.

"Candace, you'd better get some rest yourself," Blanche urged, wondering at the older woman's stamina. In spite of the fact that Candace had been kidnapped, carried off into wild country, held prisoner by men intent on killing her, and then had ridden back home again without one moment's sleep, she still looked as dauntless as ever.

Candace was shaking her head to Blanche's suggestion. "I've got to make some soup for when Mr. Josh wakes up again…"

"I can make soup, and you won't be able to do anything if you keel over dead of exhaustion," Blanche warned. "Jeremiah, take your mother out to her cabin and see that she goes to bed."

Jeremiah looked up in surprise. For a moment Blanche thought he might resent being ordered about, but she quickly realized he was only amazed at being entrusted with such a responsibility.

"She's right, Mama. You're dead on your feet. You won't be any help to Josh if you get sick, too." Now Candace was equally amazed by her son's concern, although she readily admitted she shouldn't have been. After all, hadn't he saved her life at the risk of his own during the shoot-out at the outlaws' camp? And hadn't he cared for Josh the way a true brother would have? Candace allowed her tall son to lead her from the room.

Asa turned to his wife. "I'll sit with him while you make the soup, and then you need to get some rest, too." Blanche nodded, remembering her own delicate condition, which she had only recently confided to Asa. "And I still say we should send for Felicity," he added as he moved toward the bedroom door.

Blanche agreed, of course, but Josh's reasoning was also sound. If they sent for her now, she would rush right back, having only just arrived in Philadelphia. She would be frightened and worried, and the added strain of the round trip might bring about a miscarriage. But as Blanche had pointed out to the men, even if Felicity came straight back, she might not arrive in time. And if Josh pulled through, she would have made the dangerous trip for nothing. No, Josh was right. They should wait and see what happened. And pray. A lot.

"Mr. Winthrop is here to see you, ma'am," Bellwood announced.

Felicity looked up from her letter writing and smiled, grateful for the interruption. Now that even Mademoiselle Fabian's creations could no longer conceal her condition, Felicity was confined to the luxurious imprisonment of her grandfather's townhouse. Because of that she found it increasingly difficult to think of anything to write to Blanche, who had so faithfully written to her during the two and a half months she had been in Philadelphia. Richard's visit was a welcome diversion.

"Tell Mr. Winthrop to come in," she said to Bellwood, pushing aside the letter she had been composing. As she waited for Richard, she absently stroked the enormous mound of her stomach and thought for the thousandth painful time of her child's father. In spite of Joshua's promise to arrive long before the baby was born, only a few short weeks now remained before her due date. Since Joshua was well aware that her first baby had arrived almost a month early, he had already broken his promise.

She thought back on the few letters she had received from him. For the first month, he had written not a line, and strangely, Blanche had corresponded faithfully, assuring Felicity that she and Asa were fine, and Candace was fine, and all the ranch hands were fine, and Joshua was fine. Then Joshua had finally written himself, but such terse and formal notes that Felicity almost would have preferred not hearing anything at all. All his letters said that he was fine, too, but they said little else. He never even mentioned whether he missed her and when or if he was coming. If he was so damn fine, where was he?

Unwilling to admit the probable answer to that question, Felicity smiled gratefully as Richard entered the rear parlor, where she now spent most of her days idling away the remainder of her pregnancy. "Richard!" she greeted him, rising and offering her cheek. His kiss was brotherly, as his behavior had been for the past months. Occasionally Felicity caught him looking at her with what could only be called yearning, but he had kept his promise never to mention his love for her again. Consequently, he had won her affection as well as her gratitude. "You're just in time for supper."

"I know," he replied with a mischievous grin. "Only, when are you going to remember that we call the evening meal 'dinner' here? If you're going to be living in the East, you must learn our customs…"

Felicity's quick frown surprised him into silence. "What makes you think I'm going to be living here?" she asked defensively, wondering if he knew something about Joshua's failure to arrive that she didn't.

"I… I'm sorry," Richard stammered, instantly sorry for letting such a remark slip out because he knew how upset she became over any mention of the length of her visit here. He and his uncle had long ago decided that there was something seriously wrong between Felicity and her husband, but they had also decided that the best way to deal with that knowledge was to ignore it until she spoke of it first. "I guess I was just speaking of my own personal wishes."

"You know I'm only here until the baby comes," she chided him, moving restlessly around the room as her own private doubts tortured her. "Then Joshua will come and take me home…"

But Richard was beginning to have his own doubts. Perhaps this was the moment for which he had been waiting. "Will he?" Richard challenged.

Felicity whirled to face him, her heart pounding in fear. Richard did know something! "Yes, he will," she insisted, as much to convince herself as to convince Richard. "He promised."

"Then where is he?" Richard asked angrily, unable to hide his emotions any longer. "Felicity, if he was coming, he would have been here by now. I wrote to him myself, almost a month ago, telling him that if he was any kind of a man at all, he'd be here with you, and he still didn't come!"

"No! I won't listen," Felicity cried, dashing tears from her eyes. Surrendering to the urge to flee from this unbearable discussion, she made a lunge for the door, but Richard caught her.

"You have to listen, my darling," he urged, holding her in spite of her struggles to get free. "Please, calm down. You mustn't upset yourself."

That much was true, and with great effort, Felicity managed to regain her control. "You can let me go now, Richard," she said after a moment. Her voice quivered only slightly.

"Please, sit down," he begged, leading her over to a nearby chair. She obeyed, continuing to fight the battle against tears. "You know I don't want to upset you," he said, and Felicity believed him. He never so much as alluded to her pregnancy, but he was unfailingly solicitous of her comfort. He would do nothing to cause her distress if he could possibly avoid it. So why was he doing so now? "You have to accept the facts, darling," he said, answering her unasked question as he knelt beside her chair. "Your husband has sent you to us, placed you in our care with no intention of claiming you again. You must make some plans."

Felicity listened in growing horror. Her fears were not just the strange notions that came along with morning sickness and mysterious cravings. They were real, and Richard-and probably her grandfather as well-had them, too. But then she recalled the one thing that had kept her hopes alive until now. "Joshua loves me," she said.

Richard's expression grew tender. "I don't know how he could help but love you," he assured her, taking her hands in his. "But his actions speak for themselves. If he loved you, he would be here."

"Then I'll go to him," Felicity cried, brushing Richard's clinging hands aside and rising to her feet. Yes, that's what she would do; she would go to Joshua, just as she had before. Once the child was born, and it would be born; of that she was certain. Dr. Strong had explained to her that there were instruments called forceps which could aid nature in difficult births like hers had been. He had also explained that subsequent births were often not as difficult. When her baby was born, she would take him home. Surely Joshua would want to see his own child…

"You'd go back to him after he threw you out?" Richard asked, struggling to his feet. "Have you no pride?"

She did, and it rebelled now. "He did not throw me out!" she informed her cousin.

But Richard was no longer in a mood to quibble. "He sent you away, Felicity. You can't deny it."

Felicity opened her mouth to do just that, but the words died in her throat as the truth of his statement hit home. "Oh, Richard," she whispered as the agony of betrayal twisted her heart.

He was beside her in an instant, his comforting arms embracing her. "You don't need to think about him anymore, my darling," he crooned. "We'll take care of you. I'll take care of you and your baby."

That fervent promise crushed her fragile control, and she broke down completely, sobbing against his chest. She needed someone to take care of her at that moment, and Richard was the kindest man she knew. After a few minutes, she allowed him to lead her over to the settee, where they sat down together, his arms still around her.

He was murmuring nonsense to soothe her, but after a while his words began to make sense. "There's no reason why you should be expected to bury yourself on a ranch out in the middle of nowhere. You have a great talent, and you should be allowed to develop it. You saw for yourself how well your pictures were received at the Exposition. You could have your own studio, and people would come from all over the country to have their portraits made…"

Felicity knew he was right. She would never forget the thrill of attending the Centennial Exposition, of seeing all the marvels of the world gathered into one central spot for display. But the marvels that had impressed her the most had been those housed in the Women's Pavilion. Felicity would have found this exhibit honoring the accomplishments of women fascinating even if her pictures had not been included among those accomplishments. The fact that they had been was wondrous, but even more wondrous was the reaction her pictures had caused. Had she not been enceinte, and consequently not receiving visitors, people would have been flocking to her door, just as Richard predicted.

Richard gently wiped the last of her tears away with his snowy-white handkerchief, thankful beyond words that she was calm again. "So you see, you don't need your husband," Richard explained. Behind them he heard the parlor door slide open. Bellwood would be summoning them to dinner in a moment, so he spoke quickly, urgently. "You can have a wonderful life here. You'll have the work you love to keep you busy and make you famous, and you'll have people to love you and take care of you. I love you, Felicity. Let me take care of you."

"A very generous offer, Winthrop," a sarcastic voice decreed from the doorway.

Felicity broke from Richard's embrace and turned toward the tall figure standing silhouetted by the gaslight in the hallway. Her heart seemed to have lodged in her throat at the same time it was pounding a tattoo against her ribs. Slowly, carefully she rose from the settee as she stared at the apparition, unable to quite allow herself to believe her eyes. After what seemed an eternity of uncertainty, she managed to whisper, "Joshua?"

"I'm here, Lissy," he said simply.

Heedless of how ungainly she would look, Felicity picked up her skirts and ran to him. He met her halfway, enfolding her in his arms. Felicity clung with all her strength, inhaling his blessedly familiar scent mingled with the lingering odors of train soot and fresh evening air. But what was so familiar was also slightly different, and after another moment, she realized why. Where before his beloved body had been generously padded with muscle, now she felt only the sharp angle of bones. He was much thinner. Too thin.

She pulled away, her joy suddenly turning to alarm when she took a closer look at his face. Still handsome, his features were now sharpened by the pale gauntness of a long illness. "Dear heaven, what happened?" she demanded.

But Josh did not hear her question. He was glaring over her head at Richard Winthrop. "That was an interesting proposition you were making my wife when I came in," he said, his voice hard with suppressed fury. "Would you like to repeat it now?"

Felicity turned in Joshua's arms to see Richard's reaction. His elegant face was beet-red, as if he were strangling. "Where in the hell have you been?" he demanded, giving Felicity some indication of how upset he was. He had never before used profanity in her presence. "You should have been here a month ago."

"So you said in your letter," Josh replied. Felicity could feel the tension vibrating through his too thin body.

"Joshua, please," she tried, but again he did not seem to hear.

"Do you make a habit of professing your love to married women, or is my wife a special case?" Josh inquired menacingly.

"Your wife is a very special case, as you well know," Richard grated, his slender hands forming into fists.

"Stop it, both of you!" Felicity shouted, giving Joshua a shake to get his attention. "You're acting like two dogs fighting over the same bone, and the bone doesn't like it one bit!"

Josh lowered his gaze to her upturned face, and for an instant his expression softened as he took in her beauty, the glittering gold of her hair, the glimmering azure of her eyes. Even her body, so distorted by his child, was beautiful to him. But then he pictured her in Richard's embrace, as she had been a few seconds ago, and his hands came up and clutched at her shoulders possessively. "Has he been making love to you ever since you've been here?"

"No!" she replied, outraged that he thought she would allow such a thing. "I wouldn't have let him in the same room with me if he had even tried."

"But he was making love to you when I came in," Josh pointed out, his grip tightening until she winced.

"He was comforting me because I was crying."

"And what did he say to make you cry?" Josh challenged.

Felicity did not even consider sparing him. "He said that if you loved me, you wouldn't have sent me away," she reported, and ignoring his profane reaction, she went on relentlessly. "He also said that if you were half a man, you would have been here with me. And he was right and that's why I cried, but you were sick, weren't you Joshua?" she demanded, giving him another shake.

"Not sick exactly," he said, lifting his steel-gray gaze to Richard again. "We had a little trouble with Ortega again, and I… I caught a bullet," he admitted reluctantly.

"Oh, Joshua!" Felicity cried. "Where were you hit?" She stepped back, examining him from head to toe as if she could see the wound right through his clothes.

"In the chest," he explained with equal reluctance.

With an anguished cry, she drew him to her again, as if she could somehow shield him from any further pain, and she felt a tremor go through his body. Whether it was caused by fatigue or fury, she could not tell, but she decided he had been standing long enough in any case. "Come in and sit down by the fire. You must be frozen after that ride from the station," she said, releasing him and leading him over to the settee where she and Richard had been sitting.

Richard stepped away as they approached. His face was still red, but now he looked more embarrassed than angry. Josh sat down with carefully concealed relief. Felicity saw it, but she knew Joshua would rather die than betray any weakness before Richard. She realized that she needed to be alone with her husband as soon as possible. "Richard, thank you for coming by to see me today. I'm so sorry you won't be able to join us for supper," she added, purposely using the wrong word because she knew the interpretation he would place on it.

Richard needed no subtle hints, however. "It has been my pleasure to care for you, but now I see that you no longer need that care, Cousin Felicity," he said stiffly. "I… I'm very happy for you," he added graciously, although his brown eyes were full of pain over his loss.

"Thank you," she replied, and those two words held a wealth of meaning. She gave him her hand. He carried it to his lips briefly, but before Josh could even react, Richard dropped her fingers, turned on his heel, and was gone.

Even before the door slid shut behind him, Felicity turned back to her husband, appalled at his appearance. But before she could speak, he said, "How are you?" He gestured toward her stomach.

"Oh, Joshua," she cried in frustration. "I'm perfectly fine. You're the one we have to worry about!" She took the seat beside him and reached out to stroke the beloved angles of his face. "What happened? Tell me everything."

He captured her hands and kissed each one fervently, not at all the way Richard had kissed her earlier. "Joshua," she whispered lovingly. "I don't think you kissed me hello."

For one second his gray eyes grew dark, and then his mouth came down on hers, scattering the last of her doubts.

Joshua loved her and he had come for her. Everything was going to be all right.

His kiss was long and sweet, a reconfirmation of the vows they had made to each other. When at last he pulled away, she murmured, "I love you," and he echoed her tender pledge.

"Now tell me everything," she insisted, taking his hands.

He frowned, obviously loath to do so, but after another moment of hesitation, he began. "The day I got back from taking you to the train, Ortega and his gang raided the ranch and kidnapped Candace…"

"Oh, dear heaven!"

"She's fine," Josh assured her. "They didn't hurt her. It was… it was you they really wanted."

"Me?"

Josh nodded grimly. "Of course. Ortega had decided that was the only way to really get revenge. But when you weren't there-and they tore the house apart looking for you-they deckled taking Candace was better than nothing. What they hadn't planned on was Jeremiah."

Felicity's eyes grew wide. "Jeremiah! He wasn't in on the kidnapping, was he?" she asked, unwilling to believe he could have agreed to such a thing after the way he had saved Joshua's life.

"No, he tried to warn us, but his horse went lame, and he couldn't get to the ranch in time. But he did help us find the place where they were holding Candace. He and I had this wonderful plan. We sneaked up into the camp. It was hidden way up in some rocks. I stayed in the shadows to cover him and Jeremiah walked right in. He was going to talk the rest of them into letting Candace go. What we hadn't figured on was what he would do if Ortega refused. Lucky for us, Grady got to thinking."

"We'd ordered him and the other men to stay down below and capture anybody who got away from us. After we left,. Grady realized that if the plan didn't work, Ortega would probably kill Candace and Jeremiah and me, so what good would it do if Grady and the others managed to get the rest of the gang? He and the other men followed me and Jeremiah up into the the hideout. I reckon it was the first time Grady ever disobeyed orders, but it's a good thing he did. Ortega wasn't about to listen to reason, so I had to shoot him before he killed Jeremiah and Candace. Unfortunately, he got me, too."

Felicity made a small, anguished sound and laid her palm reverently on her husband's chest. "Where?" she asked as tears threatened to fog her vision.

He moved her hand inside his suit coat to the left side of his chest, just above his heart, and she cried out again as she realized how close death had come. But then another thought intruded. "Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you send for me?" she asked, and in her mind she asked the unspeakable question, What if you had died and I wasn't there?

Josh lifted the hand that rested against his scar and brushed his lips across it before clasping it firmly in his own again. "I didn't want to put you in any danger."

"Danger! You were the one in danger!" she protested.

But he shook his head. "The trip back would have been too hard on you, and if you were upset, you might have…"

"It wouldn't have been too hard on me!" she objected.

But he ignored her. "And you needed to be here, where you could have Dr. Strong taking care of you."

"But you needed someone taking care of you, too!" she pointed out in exasperation.

"Candace and Blanche did a fine job of that," he said, and when she would have protested some more, he cut her off. "Lissy, I wanted you to be safe, where I wouldn't have to worry about you. And I didn't have any intention of dying." He smiled tenderly. "I had a promise to keep."

"Oh, Joshua," she cried in dismay. "Do you know what I thought when you didn't write?"

"I wrote to you this time," he insisted.

Felicity stared at him, picturing him propped in his sickbed, painfully penning the terse little notes that had made her think he did not care. Now she understood why they had been brief. Now she knew why he had made such a point of telling her how well he was, and why Blanche's letters had done the same. They were afraid she might suspect the truth. All that misunderstanding, all that misery over wondering whether he loved her, and all those weeks when he had lain weak and helpless when she could have been with him, helping to ease his suffering.

"Joshua Logan, I ought to take a stick to you!" she said, no longer bothering to fight the tears that sprang so readily to her eyes. He looked a little puzzled, but she was crying too hard to explain just now. There would be time for all that later. For now she would just hold him and thank God that he was safe.

Josh took her in his arms and cradled her gently against his chest. Her body felt cumbersome, weighed down as it was with the burden of his child, and he closed his eyes against the agony that thought caused. Thank God he had come in time to see her before the birth, before it might well be too late to tell her all the things he should have told her before she left Texas. For a while, as he had lain half-delirious from the fever and the pneumonia, he had feared his chance was gone, that he would never see her again. But his prayers had been answered. She was here, in his arms again.

"And what does your doctor say about the baby?" he asked, gently stroking the swell of his child.

Felicity brushed away the last of her tears and lifted her face to Joshua's. His silver eyes were clouded with the same emotions she herself felt over the knowledge of how close she had come to losing him. "Dr. Strong says the baby is big," she replied, managing a small smile. "But of course, you can see that for yourself."

Josh did not return her smile. "And?" he insisted.

"And he says that second births are much easier than first ones," she hurried to explain. "He has an instrument that can help with the delivery, too." But she could see he wasn't reassured. "I'm not going to die, Joshua," she said, her voice low and urgent. "I promise! And this baby isn't going to die, either; you'll see. I promise that, too, and we Logans keep our promises, don't we?"

Josh looked at her, taking in the diamond glitter of her sky-blue eyes and the shimmering gold of her hair and the fragile beauty of her face. In spite of the child she carried, she was still tiny and delicate, too small to be expected to endure the ordeal he knew lay ahead, the ordeal that was his fault. He loved her more than life itself. How could he bear it if she was unable to keep her promise? But even as the agony of that question tore at his heart, he forced himself to smile. "Yes, we Logans keep our promises."

Chapter Sixteen

Felicity soon realized that Joshua was not nearly as completely recovered as he wanted her to believe and that the long trip had been very difficult for him. After a brief visit with her grandfather, during which Henry Maxwell generously admitted he was glad Joshua had returned for her in spite of the fact that it meant she would eventually be leaving Philadelphia again, Felicity insisted Joshua take his supper in bed.

She wept again when she helped him undress and saw the angry scar from his wound, mute testimony to how close death had come. As they ate from trays in the privacy of their room, they talked for a while about superficial things. Felicity inquired about her loved ones back in Texas and about what had become of Jeremiah after they had successfully wiped out Ortega's gang once and for all. Josh explained that he had reported Jeremiah's death to the sheriff so his half-brother could live the rest of his life free of pursuit for a crime he had not committed. Although it would never be safe for him to return to their part of Texas, where he was known, he could now go wherever else he desired.

Joshua in turn inquired about her exhibit at the Exposition and the reaction to it. Felicity noticed that he no longer seemed quite as disturbed over the success of her work as he once had been, but she did not press the issue. Perhaps he was only being polite because he did not want to spoil their first night back together.

When Felicity judged that Joshua had reached the limit of his strength, she put out the lights and joined him in the big feather bed. They clung to each other, unbearably grateful for this simple pleasure when they considered that death had almost robbed them of it.

In spite of his fatigue, Josh lay awake long after Felicity dozed off. In the darkness he savored the feel and the scent of her body pressed up against his and the tiny movements of the child that lay between them. When he thought of the danger that still lurked, he repeated the prayer that had been answered the first time only in part. "Please, God."

Felicity awoke with a start, disoriented and momentarily confused by the weight that was pressing down upon her. When she tried to struggle free, Joshua muttered a sleepy protest, reminding her that after all these long months, she was no longer sleeping alone. A smile curved her lips as she determinedly lifted his arm from across her chest so she could shift to a more comfortable position. But no sooner had she shifted than a pain wrenched across her body, leaving her breathless and gasping and drenched in the cold sweat of terror.

It was starting! Just the way it had before! She was alone, in the dark, with the terrible, agonizing pain. Panic welled within her, and for a moment she feared that her heart might burst within her chest. But then the small voice of reason managed to make itself heard above the clamor of her fears. She wasn't alone! Joshua was here, and Dr. Strong was right next door. Hadn't the doctor said to summon him instantly, any time, day or night?

"Joshua," she called, shaking him gently, hating to wake him from the rest she knew he needed so badly. "Joshua, wake up!"

"Ussy?" he asked, instantly alert. "Is it the baby?"

"Yes," she said. "The pain just woke me."

Josh heard the tremor in her voice, and for an instant he felt the same terror he knew she was experiencing. It was too soon! He hadn't told her all the things he'd meant to about how much he loved her and how important she was to him and how sorry he was for having hurt her. But he could not think about all that now. He had to take care of her. "Everything will be fine," he promised. "Who should I call?"

Felicity thought frantically. "Bellwood, I guess. There's no use to wake Grandfather or Aunt Isabel yet. Bellwood can go get Dr. Strong."

He gave her a reassuring pat and a hasty kiss before climbing out of the big bed in search of his clothes. He lit a gaslight and then hastily began to dress, recalling as he did so how he had forgotten that important detail the last time. At least he now knew that he could afford the extra few minutes required to make himself presentable. He only wished he did not know how many hours of agony stretched before her.

Felicity lay perfectly still, as if to do so would ward off the ferocity of the next contraction, but it came just the same, wrenching and writhing its way through her body. As she strained against it, she felt a gush of fluid between her legs, soaking her and the bedclothes.

"My… my water… broke," she managed to gasp when the pain subsided. He hastily snatched up some towels, threw back the bedclothes, and began to mop up the moisture as best he could. But distracted by something far more important, Felicity was only vaguely aware of his efforts. "Joshua, the baby's coming," she said in a voice that reflected her bewilderment.

"I know, honey," he soothed her. "I'll get the doctor and everything will be fine."

"No, Joshua," she corrected him urgently. "I mean, the baby is coming now!"

She knew he didn't believe her. She didn't believe it herself, but then another contraction started and she surrendered to the irresistible desire to push. It couldn't be, she knew that, and yet it was. She felt her body opening, spreading, and she lifted her knees to accommodate as she continued to bear down.

"Lissy, what are you…?" Joshua's voice seemed to come from far away. And then he said, "It's coming!" and she knew he had seen what she had sensed.

As the contraction subsided, Felicity fell back, panting and exhausted, but Joshua would not let her rest. "Just once more, Lissy. Come on, girl, you can do it!"

Of course she could do it, she thought with irritation. What was he yelling about? But before she could ask, her body convulsed again, propelling her child into its father's eager hands.

As one in a dream, Felicity stared at the writhing creature Joshua was holding up for her to see. The tiny, wrinkled face screwed up in outrage and then let out a bloodcurdling wail. It was the most beautiful sound Felicity had ever heard.

"Joshua! He's alive!" she cried, laughing and weeping at the same time.

"No, she's alive," he corrected, having noticed a detail Felicity had missed. He was laughing, too, and his eyes were also moist.

"Give her to me!" Felicity commanded, reaching for the infant.

Being very careful of the cord, Josh laid the baby on her mother's stomach so Felicity could touch her precious treasure. Only as he watched her lovingly stroke the tiny body did he begin to realize the magnitude of what had just happened.

The baby was born. Felicity was alive. The baby was alive. It was all over. Less than five minutes had passed since she had awakened him.

"My God," he murmured, and then he realized that he should probably be doing something. The doctor. He should probably get the doctor. He hastily pulled the bedclothes up to cover Felicity and the baby. "I'm going to send for the doctor. Will you be all right until I get back?" he asked.

Felicity smiled blissfully as she soothed her baby. "Of course," she said.

Josh hurried to the door, but when he threw it open, he almost collided with half the residents of the Maxwell mansion.

"What's going on?" Henry Maxwell demanded as he hastily tied the robe of his dressing gown. "I thought I heard a scream."

"I did hear a scream!" Isabel cried, clutching the lapels of her pink silk robe.

Bellwood, half-dressed, wrung his hands. "Sir, would you like me to…"

"Felicity had the baby," Josh announced to all of them. "It's a girl."

Isabel promptly fainted.

Dr. Strong shook his head as he packed his instruments away. "Did I happen to mention that second births are often easier than first births?" he asked with a quizzical grin.

Reluctantly, Felicity lifted her gaze from the sleeping infant that lay beside her in the bed. She nodded her reply to his question. Her eyes were dancing, but she managed not to grin back.

"Well, young lady, I want you to understand that they are rarely this much easier," he explained with mock sternness.

Felicity nodded again, very much aware that she had experienced a small miracle. This time she did not bother to hide her triumphant grin. Fondly, she returned her gaze to her new daughter. "She's beautiful, isn't she?"

"She's a fine, healthy baby," Dr. Strong demurred. "And that's quite a head of hair she has."

Felicity lovingly stroked the downy black hair her child had inherited from Joshua. "Dr. Strong?" she asked.

"Yes?"

"Will I…" She hesitated, uncertain over exactly how to phrase the question. "Will all my children be born this easily now?"

Dr. Strong considered. "Well, sometimes there are complications that no one can foresee, but I think it is safe to predict that from now on your biggest worry will be staying close to the house during the last month of your confinement."

Before Felicity could respond, someone knocked on the bedroom door. "Come in," she called.

Joshua did so, a worried frown on his face. "Is everything all right?"

"Everything is just fine," Dr. Strong repeated. "And congratulations, Mr. Logan. I don't believe I had a chance to say that earlier in all the excitement."

"Thank you," Josh said, shaking Dr. Strong's hand. "And thank you for looking after her all these months."

"I did very little," Dr. Strong replied with a smile. "And I must say, I'm glad my services were not required here at the end. You and your wife handled everything beautifully."

After Josh and Felicity had thanked him yet again, Dr. Strong took his leave, promising to check back with them in the morning. When they were alone, Josh moved over next to the bed, where he could get another look at his new daughter.

"She's awfully little," he noticed, patting the small bottom.

"She's even bigger than Caleb Joshua was," Felicity said, growing solemn at the sad memory of her beautiful son.

For a moment they gazed at this living baby and remembered the one they had lost. Then Josh realized the importance of what she had said. "Did you say this baby is bigger?"

Felicity nodded, her eyes shining with the renewed hope Dr. Strong's prediction had given her. "Do you know what this means, Joshua? This means we have our life back!"

At his puzzled frown, she explained. "Don't you see? We don't have to be afraid anymore. We can love each other just like we did in the beginning, and we don't have to be afraid that I'll have a baby. I won't die, and we won't lose any more children, either. Oh, Joshua, do you understand? Our life will be just like it was before!"

But Josh stared down at her radiant expression and shook his head. "I don't want our life to be just like it was before, Lissy."

Felicity stared back at him in horror, her hope snuffed. Instinctively, she drew her child closer to her side as if to protect her from whatever awful thing Joshua was going to say. "What do you mean?" she asked warily.

Seeing Felicity's reaction, Josh hastened to reassure her, sitting down on the edge of the bed and reaching out to tenderly stroke her cheek. "What I mean is that I want things to be different for you. When I think back over our marriage, the only time I remember you being really happy was when you first came here, to Philadelphia."

"That's not true!" Felicity protested, but he shook his head.

"It is true. You were never sure of your place as my wife, and that's my fault. You tried so hard to please me, and I never told you how much you had succeeded. I never even told you how much I loved you. And then, when you lost the baby…"

"Don't, Joshua!" she cried, unwilling to let the memory of those awful days mar the joy of the future.

"And then you came here," he continued relentlessly. "You seemed to forget your unhappiness. You were like a different person here, but I got jealous. That's why I wanted to take you away, back home to Texas, where you'd be all mine again. Leaving you here was one of the hardest things I ever had to do."

Felicity felt her eyes fill with tears as she remembered her own bitterness over what she had considered his desertion. She reached up and clasped the hand that still rested by her face and placed a kiss on the roughened palm. "But we were happy when I came back home," she reminded him.

He smiled sadly at the memory. "For a very short while, but then we realized you were pregnant."

He did not need to explain. She remembered only too well the strained desperation she had felt during that time to continue the carefree charade. He, too, must have known the same desperation.

"Joshua, all that is over now. The reasons we were miserable no longer exist. I know you love me, and we don't have to be afraid anymore…"

"But that isn't enough," he insisted, and once more she listened with dread to what he wanted to tell her. "Like I said, the only times you've been really happy are when you were here… and when you're taking photographs. You've never said anything, but I know how much you love that work and how much it meant to you when your pictures were displayed. I… I'm starting to agree with your grandfather that you should have your own studio here and-"

"Are you saying I should live here, with Grandfather?" she asked in horror.

"No!" he hastily explained. "At least not all the time. But if it's that important to you, maybe you could spend part of the year here and part of the year with me…"

Felicity watched his silver eyes cloud with pain as he said these words, and for the first time she understood, really understood, what he was telling her. He believed that she preferred this life to the one they had in Texas and that the fame she had achieved was vitally important to her. The old Joshua would have feared such feelings and would have packed her off to Texas and kept her locked safely away from these temptations. But her new Joshua was willing to share her, was willing to let her have her life that was so alien to his own. This new Joshua was willing to risk losing her in order to give her what he believed would make her happy.

"Would you be with me while I was here?" she asked, testing her theory.

"As much as I could," he affirmed.

"You'd have to be away from the ranch," she reminded him, recalling his fierce devotion to the land, a love that ran so deep she had once actually believed he would leave her just to conduct a roundup.

"Other people can take care of the ranch," he said. "You're more important to me."

Once more tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them away. Now was not the time for weeping. This was the happiest moment in her life. "Joshua, you're more important to me than photography or Philadelphia. Don't you know that?" He looked as if he wanted to, but couldn't quite. "Joshua, listen to me! I do love photography, but I can be a photographer in Texas. I can't be your wife here in Philadelphia, without you, and I'd rather be your wife than anything else!"

His gray eyes searched her face for a long moment before he finally trusted himself to feel the surging joy her words produced. Reminding himself of her delicate condition, he resisted the urge to grab her up and crush her to him. Instead, he carefully leaned over and placed a tender kiss on her upturned mouth.

The kiss was long and infinitely sweet. When at last he lifted his lips from hers, he smiled. "You'll be the best photographer in Texas."

Felicity smiled back, easily reading the love and gratitude on his beloved face. "I'll settle for being a good photographer and a happy wife," she replied.

Josh trudged wearily up onto the ranch house porch. He hated coming home to an empty house, knowing Felicity and baby Claire would not be there to greet him. But as he stepped over the threshold into the front room, he sensed a change, as if the room were charged with some sort of electricity. Candace greeted him with a knowing smile.

"They're home," she reported, confirming what he had instinctively known. She motioned toward the bedroom door.

Inside the bedroom, he found Claire nursing happily at her mother's breast as the two females he loved most snuggled together in the rocking chair. Claire paused long enough to give her father a milky smile before returning to the task before her. Felicity reached out her free hand to him.

"Welcome home," he said, crossing the room in long strides to kiss her smiling mouth.

"Did you miss us?" she asked.

"Terribly," he said, kneeling down beside the chair so he could flirt with his daughter. He captured one baby foot and nibbled at her toes, making her giggle but not distracting her long from her feeding. "I thought you'd be gone a few more days."

"Blanche ran us off," Felicity reported cheerfully. "She said she didn't need any more help."

Josh made a face. "She thinks she can handle twin boys all by herself?"

"She claims she's been handling men all her life, and since these two are so small, they're hardly even a challenge," Felicity explained. "Besides, now that the shock has worn off, even Asa has started to pitch in to help."

"I don't believe I ever saw a man so surprised as he was when you told him the news," Josh recalled with a chuckle. For a few minutes they reminisced about the birth of Blanche's sons and considered the possibility that one or both of them might one day court their own daughter. "I got the cutest photograph of them, too. There's only a slight blur where one of them-I can't tell which one it is-moved his hand just a bit."

"Can anyone tell them apart?"

Felicity shook her head. "Blanche claims she can, but how would any of the rest of us ever know if she's right?"

Josh smiled his understanding. "Well, if Claire's going to marry one of them, I hope she can tell the difference." Josh glanced down at where his daughter still suckled at her mother's breast. He grinned wickedly. "That looks like fun," he remarked.

Felicity grinned back and with her free hand slipped aside her chemise to reveal her other breast. "Help yourself," she offered provocatively.

Josh caught his breath on an overwhelming surge of desire. "I can wait my turn," he responded hoarsely.

Felicity looked down at her daughter and determined that the baby was practically asleep. Gently, she removed her nipple from the baby's mouth and carefully laid her down in the nearby cradle. Felicity patted the little girl a few times to make sure she was safely in dreamland, and then she turned back to her husband.

"Your turn," Felicity said coyly, only to find herself being thrust over her husband's shoulder and carried off to their bed. She whooped in feigned outrage as Joshua tumbled her down on the mattress, but he quickly silenced her protests with his own lips.

Felicity slid her arms around his neck and buried her fingers in the silky softness of his silver hair. His kisses were devouring, and she surrendered, eager to be consumed. His hands worked magic as they pushed aside the barrier of her clothes to caress the breasts he had earlier coveted. Her nipples puckered to aching readiness, and he soothed them with his mouth in an erotic parody of infant eagerness.

Felicity cried out as pleasure swamped her senses, turning her desires into compulsion. "Joshua, please!" she begged. He needed no further encouragement. Tearing away the clothes that restricted them, he took her with an urgency that matched her own. Together they strove for the ultimate union, clinging with hands and lips until their bodies convulsed as one, melding them into a single being.

Joshua lifted himself on his elbows so he could watch her face as the aftershocks rippled through her body. "You're so beautiful," he whispered.

She smiled slowly, savoring the moment. "This reminds me of the first time," she murmured, glancing down at their partially clad bodies. But when she lifted her gaze to Joshua's again, she was surprised to see him frowning.

"I had no right to take you that day," he said, brushing wisps of golden hair off her forehead. "I forced you so that you would have to marry me."

"I knew that," she informed him sweetly. "The only thing I couldn't figure out was why you wanted to marry me."

"What?" Josh said in complete astonishment.

"It's true," she assured him, "It never occurred to me that you might actually be in love with me."

"It never occurred to me either," he replied with a self-mocking grin. "I was just as surprised as you were. But I do love you, more every day," he added, rolling off of her and carrying her with him so that she now rested against his chest.

"And I love you even more," she said with an impish grin.

But he did not return that grin. Instead he grew pensive. "Are you sure that just being my wife is going to be enough for you? If you change your mind about Philadelphia…"

"I'm not going to change my mind," Felicity said with some exasperation. "I told you, I was feeling a little desperate about my photographs back when I thought they were the only 'babies' I would ever have. Now I know that's not true, and for the time being, at least, I'll be perfectly happy to simply photograph my own children."

"Children?" Josh repeated suspiciously.

"Of course," she assured him. "You didn't think I'd be happy with just Claire, did you? I intend to have lots more, because I know you only got married so you could have children to leave the ranch to-"

He used a kiss to cut off her outrageous charges in mid-sentence. When she was breathless, he pulled away again. "You're absolutely right," he assured her just as outrageously, "and I think we'd better get started on the next baby right away."

"I thought we just did," she said innocently.

"That," he informed her, "was only practice."

Author's Note

In doing research for my previous novels, I would occasionally come across a photograph of what appeared to be a sleeping baby. The captions to the pictures explained that the child, who was invariably dressed in a long christening gown, was dead. I found such captions incomprehensible according to my twentieth-century understanding. Then I finally happened across the explanation that traveling photographers were often asked to photograph infants prior to burial so the parents would have a memento of the deceased child. People who lived during the Victorian era were perhaps more sentimental and less squeamish about such things than we are today.

The details about Felicity's childbirth experiences are based on actual fact. The story, as told to me, was so fascinating that I have remembered it for almost two decades until at last I have the opportunity to put it into a book.

Victoria Thompson

***

Content

Victoria Thompson
Texas Blonde

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Author's Note

Victoria Thompson