looked at her before returning his gaze to his son. He traced the baby's brow with his finger. His hand was about twice the size of the baby's face. It looked dark against the splotchy red skin.
"You're thinking why couldn't it have been me who died and your wife who lived, aren't you?"
His dark head snapped up. The motion was so sudden that the baby flinched, startled, before relaxing once again on his fathers lap. Ross was ashamed that she had guessed his thought, but he couldn't apologize for it. Rather than deny it when it was so obviously apparent, he asked his own question. "What were you doing out there in the woods having a baby all alone?"
"I didn't have anywhere else to go. That just happened to be where I dropped."
Her answer vexed him. The injustice of Victoria lying cold in a grave while this woman, who wasn't worth one teaspoon of Victoria, was nursing her baby burned inside him. "Who are you running from? The law?"
"No!" she cried, shocked.
"A husband?"
She averted her eyes. "I've never had a husband."
"Hmm," he grunted smugly.
There was a flash of fire in her eyes when she turned them to him once again. How dare he sit there and judge her! How could he possibly know what she had suffered? She had been subjected to degradation by a man once before; she wasn't going to be again. "What you said last night, Mr. Coleman, about my baby being better off dying. You were right. He was better off dying. And I would have been too. I wanted to. But I didn't."
She pushed her chin up, causing her hair to ripple around her head. "Anyway, I'm here and your wife isn't. God must have seen fit to make it happen that way. I didn't have any choice in it any more than you. Little Lee needs mothering and I'm going to mother him."
"You'll wet-nurse him and that's all. He had a mother."
"And she's dead!"
He bolted off the stool with a snarl curling his lip. As her experiences at Clancey's hands had taught her to do, Lydia shrank against the wagons side and covered her head with her arms. "No, please!"
"What the hell—"
"What in tarnation is goin' on in here?" Ma demanded as she heaved herself into the wagon. "The two of you are providin' quite a show for the whole train. Leona Watkins is in a tizzy about the two of you spendin' the night together—"
"I slept outside," Ross said between his teeth. The girl had thought he was going to strike her!
"I know that," Ma snapped. "And so does everyone else by now 'cause I seen to it that they was told. Now give me that young'un. It's a wonder his neck ain't broke the way you're aholdin' him." She took Lee from his father. "And why is Lydia curled up there like she's been beat?" she demanded of the man. His mouth only hardened into a straight, stubborn line. "Lydia, what's ailin' you?" Ma asked.
Lydia, ashamed for seeming like a coward, answered quietly. "Nothing."
Ma peered at her closely, then turned to Ross and eyed him up and down in silent reproach. "Git on out of here. Anabeth and I'll take over the care of Lydia. Bubba said he's gonna drive for you today 'cause you're goin' huntin', and frankly I think that's a good idea. Gettin away from here might clear up your head 'bout some things. Now git."
Few refused Mas orders. Ross cast one baleful eye toward the girl, who no longer looked terrorized, but was watching him warily. Then he stamped out. Once outside, he crammed his hat on his head, hauled his saddle over one shoulder, braced his rifle over the other, and stalked toward the area where the horses had been staked for the night.
The two eldest Langston boys were watching when a few minutes later Ross wheeled the powerful stallion away from the camp and streaked off through a meadow toward the thick woods.
"Know what I think?" Luke asked his brother.
"Naw, and I don't care, but I'm sure you're gonna tell me anyway."
"I think Mr. Coleman could be a mean sonofabitch if he was to put his mind to be."
Bubba stared pensively at the diminishing image of horse and
"You're thinking why couldn't it have been me who died and your wife who lived, aren't you?"
His dark head snapped up. The motion was so sudden that the baby flinched, startled, before relaxing once again on his fathers lap. Ross was ashamed that she had guessed his thought, but he couldn't apologize for it. Rather than deny it when it was so obviously apparent, he asked his own question. "What were you doing out there in the woods having a baby all alone?"
"I didn't have anywhere else to go. That just happened to be where I dropped."
Her answer vexed him. The injustice of Victoria lying cold in a grave while this woman, who wasn't worth one teaspoon of Victoria, was nursing her baby burned inside him. "Who are you running from? The law?"
"No!" she cried, shocked.
"A husband?"
She averted her eyes. "I've never had a husband."
"Hmm," he grunted smugly.
There was a flash of fire in her eyes when she turned them to him once again. How dare he sit there and judge her! How could he possibly know what she had suffered? She had been subjected to degradation by a man once before; she wasn't going to be again. "What you said last night, Mr. Coleman, about my baby being better off dying. You were right. He was better off dying. And I would have been too. I wanted to. But I didn't."
She pushed her chin up, causing her hair to ripple around her head. "Anyway, I'm here and your wife isn't. God must have seen fit to make it happen that way. I didn't have any choice in it any more than you. Little Lee needs mothering and I'm going to mother him."
"You'll wet-nurse him and that's all. He had a mother."
"And she's dead!"
He bolted off the stool with a snarl curling his lip. As her experiences at Clancey's hands had taught her to do, Lydia shrank against the wagons side and covered her head with her arms. "No, please!"
"What the hell—"
"What in tarnation is goin' on in here?" Ma demanded as she heaved herself into the wagon. "The two of you are providin' quite a show for the whole train. Leona Watkins is in a tizzy about the two of you spendin' the night together—"
"I slept outside," Ross said between his teeth. The girl had thought he was going to strike her!
"I know that," Ma snapped. "And so does everyone else by now 'cause I seen to it that they was told. Now give me that young'un. It's a wonder his neck ain't broke the way you're aholdin' him." She took Lee from his father. "And why is Lydia curled up there like she's been beat?" she demanded of the man. His mouth only hardened into a straight, stubborn line. "Lydia, what's ailin' you?" Ma asked.
Lydia, ashamed for seeming like a coward, answered quietly. "Nothing."
Ma peered at her closely, then turned to Ross and eyed him up and down in silent reproach. "Git on out of here. Anabeth and I'll take over the care of Lydia. Bubba said he's gonna drive for you today 'cause you're goin' huntin', and frankly I think that's a good idea. Gettin away from here might clear up your head 'bout some things. Now git."
Few refused Mas orders. Ross cast one baleful eye toward the girl, who no longer looked terrorized, but was watching him warily. Then he stamped out. Once outside, he crammed his hat on his head, hauled his saddle over one shoulder, braced his rifle over the other, and stalked toward the area where the horses had been staked for the night.
The two eldest Langston boys were watching when a few minutes later Ross wheeled the powerful stallion away from the camp and streaked off through a meadow toward the thick woods.
"Know what I think?" Luke asked his brother.
"Naw, and I don't care, but I'm sure you're gonna tell me anyway."
"I think Mr. Coleman could be a mean sonofabitch if he was to put his mind to be."
Bubba stared pensively at the diminishing image of horse and
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