served to keep her riled, and he’d always enjoyed watching the way a spark of anger could deepen the blue of her eyes. He’d often wondered if passion would do the same, but she’d left before he’d had the opportunity to find out.
He was still enjoying the flavor of his cigar when he heard the light footfalls, and instinctively knew to whom they belonged. He’d sensed her standing just beyond the shadows, watching him. He inhaled deeply, absorbing not only the rich aroma of the cigar but the fragrance of the flowery perfume wafting toward him. Underneath it all was the scent of her , like good whiskey, once experienced, never forgotten. He blew out the smoke he’d been holding in his lungs and waited, unmoving, until the feathery gray wisps disappeared into the night. Doing nothing more than extending the cigar slightly to the side, he asked, “Want to give it a try?”
“You always were a creature of bad habits, Tom.”
“That’s not an answer, Lauren. I’ve got a fresh one in my jacket pocket if you’d rather have it.”
She sighed with obvious impatience. “Proper ladies don’t smoke.”
“Proper ladies don’t drink or cuss. That never stopped you before.”
“I was a child then,” she said. “You were alwayscorrupting me, and I was silly enough to let you do it. I’m not a child any longer.”
“That much is obvious, Lauren.”
She moved up until he could see her profile out of the corner of his eye. Limned by the glow of the gaslights, she looked incredibly lovely. She had changed into a blue-gray dress, square at the neck, trimmed in lace. He thought with more light, it would enhance the shade of her eyes. She’d altered the style of her hair as well. With the curls and ribbons slightly different, her hair remained piled on top of her head as it had been earlier, leaving her long, slender neck exposed to his inspection—and he wished available to his mouth as well. The English went to a lot of trouble to prepare themselves simply to eat an ordinary evening meal.
“You had absolutely no idea that all this was over here waiting for you?” she finally asked quietly.
He took a slow drag on his cigar, released the smoke from his lungs. “Nope.”
“It must have been rather a shock—”
“That’s an understatement,” he said.
“You said you don’t remember any of it.”
“I don’t.”
“Your mother must have loved you—”
“Or not loved me at all.”
“Oh, Tom, don’t think that.”
“She left me, Lauren. What am I supposed to think?”
He considered pointing out that Lauren had left him, too, but he didn’t see the point in harping on it. Besides, his mother was gone, Lauren wasn’t. His mother had been given a choice. Lauren hadn’t.
“I didn’t know your father,” she said, “but his cruelty was legendary. I think your mother wanted to spare you suffering what he was capable of inflicting.”
“I can think of better ways to do it.”
“She had no way of knowing you’d be orphaned, or that her letter explaining what she’d done would be left with someone who couldn’t read. It took a great deal of courage for Lady Sachse to admit she was once illiterate…and it will take a great deal of courage for you to accept this burden that’s been thrust upon you.”
He shook his head. “It takes courage to face a cattle stampede. Coming here is just an inconvenience.”
“In a few months, you might feel differently about what defines courage.”
He couldn’t see that it took much courage to attend balls, dinners, and operas. Of course, to night’s dinner would be the first one he would have with company other than the previous Lady Sachse, and her mind had been more centered on Archibald Warner than correcting Tom for his lack of proper manners. Not that he thought his manners were too atrocious. He’d had occasion to dine withbusinessmen and bankers and cattlemen. Working the cattle empire that was part of the Texas Lady Ventures had also exposed
He was still enjoying the flavor of his cigar when he heard the light footfalls, and instinctively knew to whom they belonged. He’d sensed her standing just beyond the shadows, watching him. He inhaled deeply, absorbing not only the rich aroma of the cigar but the fragrance of the flowery perfume wafting toward him. Underneath it all was the scent of her , like good whiskey, once experienced, never forgotten. He blew out the smoke he’d been holding in his lungs and waited, unmoving, until the feathery gray wisps disappeared into the night. Doing nothing more than extending the cigar slightly to the side, he asked, “Want to give it a try?”
“You always were a creature of bad habits, Tom.”
“That’s not an answer, Lauren. I’ve got a fresh one in my jacket pocket if you’d rather have it.”
She sighed with obvious impatience. “Proper ladies don’t smoke.”
“Proper ladies don’t drink or cuss. That never stopped you before.”
“I was a child then,” she said. “You were alwayscorrupting me, and I was silly enough to let you do it. I’m not a child any longer.”
“That much is obvious, Lauren.”
She moved up until he could see her profile out of the corner of his eye. Limned by the glow of the gaslights, she looked incredibly lovely. She had changed into a blue-gray dress, square at the neck, trimmed in lace. He thought with more light, it would enhance the shade of her eyes. She’d altered the style of her hair as well. With the curls and ribbons slightly different, her hair remained piled on top of her head as it had been earlier, leaving her long, slender neck exposed to his inspection—and he wished available to his mouth as well. The English went to a lot of trouble to prepare themselves simply to eat an ordinary evening meal.
“You had absolutely no idea that all this was over here waiting for you?” she finally asked quietly.
He took a slow drag on his cigar, released the smoke from his lungs. “Nope.”
“It must have been rather a shock—”
“That’s an understatement,” he said.
“You said you don’t remember any of it.”
“I don’t.”
“Your mother must have loved you—”
“Or not loved me at all.”
“Oh, Tom, don’t think that.”
“She left me, Lauren. What am I supposed to think?”
He considered pointing out that Lauren had left him, too, but he didn’t see the point in harping on it. Besides, his mother was gone, Lauren wasn’t. His mother had been given a choice. Lauren hadn’t.
“I didn’t know your father,” she said, “but his cruelty was legendary. I think your mother wanted to spare you suffering what he was capable of inflicting.”
“I can think of better ways to do it.”
“She had no way of knowing you’d be orphaned, or that her letter explaining what she’d done would be left with someone who couldn’t read. It took a great deal of courage for Lady Sachse to admit she was once illiterate…and it will take a great deal of courage for you to accept this burden that’s been thrust upon you.”
He shook his head. “It takes courage to face a cattle stampede. Coming here is just an inconvenience.”
“In a few months, you might feel differently about what defines courage.”
He couldn’t see that it took much courage to attend balls, dinners, and operas. Of course, to night’s dinner would be the first one he would have with company other than the previous Lady Sachse, and her mind had been more centered on Archibald Warner than correcting Tom for his lack of proper manners. Not that he thought his manners were too atrocious. He’d had occasion to dine withbusinessmen and bankers and cattlemen. Working the cattle empire that was part of the Texas Lady Ventures had also exposed
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