needed was an American wife. He was a very stubborn man, too. When I came back home, he followed me and asked Daddy for my hand."
Choking back a laugh, Trevor said wistfully, "I wish I'd been here to see that. What'd your father say?"
"He told the sheik that since we hadn't any goats or camels for my dowry, he didn't think it would be fair and, besides, he really didn't want me to live so far away for the rest of my life. The sheik started talking about a mansion in Beverly Hills, and Daddy said that was too far away and, besides, he didn't trust California not to fall into the ocean."
"Did the sheik give up?"
"Not immediately. Daddy kept pointing out, very gravely, the differences in religion and lifestyle, and the sheik kept promising to change whatever was wrong. Every time Daddy seemed to be cornered, he found a new objection. Finally, he told the sheik that he really didn't want to lose his firstborn just yet."
"And?"
Taylor grinned up at him. "And then Jamie walked into the room. My fickle sheik instantly fell in love with her and offered Daddy the earth if he'd only consent to their marriage. He was horribly disappointed when he found out how old she was, but he staved for dinner anyway, and when he left he promised he'd be back to court Jamie in a few years."
Passing by them just then, Jamie said softly, "I hope he does come to court me. He was a beautiful man, Taylor, and such nice manners. And I'd like to ride a camel. And at least he didn't yell like that Frenchman." With a gliding walk eerily like her mother's, Jamie moved on toward the house.
Trevor folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the tree at his back, staring down at Taylor. "Frenchman?" he queried with terribly polite patience.
She was gazing meditatively at nothing at all. "Hmm? Oh, him. He was just someone I met in Paris."
"He followed you back to the States?"
"Uh-huh."
"And asked for your hand?" Trevor's voice was growing more and more polite.
"Well, yes."
"And?"
Taylor sent him a sudden, glinting smile. "Judging by your tone, I think you would have loved Daddy's answer."
"Only," Trevor said grimly, "if he decked the man."
"He did."
"He did?"
She giggled. "Well, I'm afraid he took Daddy's amiability for weakness, and he became very demanding and—uh— abusive. And when he began shouting and frightening Dory, Daddy knocked him down. I must say it worked, too, because he begged pardon very meekly once he'd picked himself up off the floor, and he left without a murmur."
Trevor was clearly pleased by his mental image of that event, but he held on to his stern expression. "Do you make it a habit of bringing strange men home with you?" he asked severely.
"You should know," she told him blandly.
Without an instant's hesitation he said, "But you knew I was the man you were going to marry. What excuse did you have for the others?"
She choked on a giggle. "You make it sound like I've had men trampling a beaten path to my door!"
"I'm beginning to think that was exactly the case! I thought you waited for me!" he accused, aggrieved.
"A girl has to do something while she waits," Taylor explained gently.
"You shameless hussy, how many other men have you brought home?"
"Not many."
"Not many?"
She looked up at him soulfully. "And you're the only one who mattered, after all."
"Oh, sure!"
"I promise. It's just that I like making friends, you see."
Trevor made a rude noise. "Friends who propose?"
"Well, only three proposed—" She broke off abruptly with a comical look of guilty dismay.
"Three ? And just who was the third?"
Taylor sighed. "Well, he was a man I met in—"
"Let me guess," Trevor interrupted in a voice of foreboding. "Just a man you met in London?"
She nodded, half laughing and half guilty. "But I was a schoolgirl, after all, so it didn't really count."
"You," he told her firmly, "should be barred from world travel! It's obvious you make a habit of ensnaring strange foreign men. I shudder to think of what
Choking back a laugh, Trevor said wistfully, "I wish I'd been here to see that. What'd your father say?"
"He told the sheik that since we hadn't any goats or camels for my dowry, he didn't think it would be fair and, besides, he really didn't want me to live so far away for the rest of my life. The sheik started talking about a mansion in Beverly Hills, and Daddy said that was too far away and, besides, he didn't trust California not to fall into the ocean."
"Did the sheik give up?"
"Not immediately. Daddy kept pointing out, very gravely, the differences in religion and lifestyle, and the sheik kept promising to change whatever was wrong. Every time Daddy seemed to be cornered, he found a new objection. Finally, he told the sheik that he really didn't want to lose his firstborn just yet."
"And?"
Taylor grinned up at him. "And then Jamie walked into the room. My fickle sheik instantly fell in love with her and offered Daddy the earth if he'd only consent to their marriage. He was horribly disappointed when he found out how old she was, but he staved for dinner anyway, and when he left he promised he'd be back to court Jamie in a few years."
Passing by them just then, Jamie said softly, "I hope he does come to court me. He was a beautiful man, Taylor, and such nice manners. And I'd like to ride a camel. And at least he didn't yell like that Frenchman." With a gliding walk eerily like her mother's, Jamie moved on toward the house.
Trevor folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the tree at his back, staring down at Taylor. "Frenchman?" he queried with terribly polite patience.
She was gazing meditatively at nothing at all. "Hmm? Oh, him. He was just someone I met in Paris."
"He followed you back to the States?"
"Uh-huh."
"And asked for your hand?" Trevor's voice was growing more and more polite.
"Well, yes."
"And?"
Taylor sent him a sudden, glinting smile. "Judging by your tone, I think you would have loved Daddy's answer."
"Only," Trevor said grimly, "if he decked the man."
"He did."
"He did?"
She giggled. "Well, I'm afraid he took Daddy's amiability for weakness, and he became very demanding and—uh— abusive. And when he began shouting and frightening Dory, Daddy knocked him down. I must say it worked, too, because he begged pardon very meekly once he'd picked himself up off the floor, and he left without a murmur."
Trevor was clearly pleased by his mental image of that event, but he held on to his stern expression. "Do you make it a habit of bringing strange men home with you?" he asked severely.
"You should know," she told him blandly.
Without an instant's hesitation he said, "But you knew I was the man you were going to marry. What excuse did you have for the others?"
She choked on a giggle. "You make it sound like I've had men trampling a beaten path to my door!"
"I'm beginning to think that was exactly the case! I thought you waited for me!" he accused, aggrieved.
"A girl has to do something while she waits," Taylor explained gently.
"You shameless hussy, how many other men have you brought home?"
"Not many."
"Not many?"
She looked up at him soulfully. "And you're the only one who mattered, after all."
"Oh, sure!"
"I promise. It's just that I like making friends, you see."
Trevor made a rude noise. "Friends who propose?"
"Well, only three proposed—" She broke off abruptly with a comical look of guilty dismay.
"Three ? And just who was the third?"
Taylor sighed. "Well, he was a man I met in—"
"Let me guess," Trevor interrupted in a voice of foreboding. "Just a man you met in London?"
She nodded, half laughing and half guilty. "But I was a schoolgirl, after all, so it didn't really count."
"You," he told her firmly, "should be barred from world travel! It's obvious you make a habit of ensnaring strange foreign men. I shudder to think of what
Similar Books
