[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
as secure as the house implied.
Lorna pulled at the neckline of her dress, trying to force it higher so not so
much of her breasts would show, but her buntline had increased since having
the boys. The bodice of the dress simply wouldn't stretch to cover the swell
of her breasts.
Her eyes critically studied her image reflected by the mirror. Immodest or
not, Lorna was going to wear it. This was her best dress. She refused to
entertain her English guest wearing one of her plain, everyday dresses. Her
fingertips traced over her cheek, testing its smoothness.
A second image appeared in the mirror, startling her. Benteen had come up
behind her with cat-soft steps. His rugged, lean-jawed face was next to hers
in the mirror. Their eyes locked together for a long second before Lorna
turned around to face him. His hand moved to lightly stroke the curve of her
throat while his gaze followed its path.
"Giles will appreciate the time you've taken to make yourself beautiful," he
remarked cynically while his fingers continued their downward journey to
wander over the exposed swell of her breasts.
"I didn't do it for him," Lorna insisted sharply, irritated that he should say
such a thing and all the while aware of the way her flesh tingled under his
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ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
touch. "Besides, I don't even know that he's bringing Lady Crawford."
"He is," Benteen stated. "And he'll notice how you look."
"I can't help that," she protested as his fingers forced their way under the
already strained material of the dress's neckline and followed its dipping
line. "Why must you keep harping about him?"
"He wants to do what I'm doing right now with you." The flat of his hand
spread across the small of her back as his fingers finished their climb to her
shoulder. "He'd like to take you away from me. You know that, too."
His eyes challenged her to deny it, but she couldn't. "There isn't any reason
for you to be concerned about that."
"Isn't there?" His hand applied pressure to bring her against the lower half
of his body. "Then tell me you don't like him."
"But I do like him-as a friend," Lorna qualified her answer, but refused to
lie about her feelings for Bull Giles.
"He'll use that someday, Lorna," Benteen warned. "That's why he's hanging
around this area because of you. Nothing else is keeping him here. You can't
trust him."
"You're exaggerating." But there was a grain of doubt within her. "This isn't
the time to talk about it anyway. They'll be coming any-"
"They," Benteen cut across her words. "You are expecting him to come."
"Benteen, please don't do this." He had no cause to be jealous, but she
couldn't seem to convince him of it.
His fingers dug into her shoulderbone to pull her the rest of the way to him.
There was a fire in his kiss, as if he wanted to sear his brand on her lips
and mark her the way he marked all the rest of his possessions. When he lifted
his head, her breath was coming quickly. She was angered and aroused at the
same time. The contradiction showed in the fiery sparkle of her eyes and the
swollen softness of her lips. Pivoting, Lorna turned to survey the damages in
the mirror.
"There isn't time for that," Benteen said. "The carriage was approaching when
I came in."
She whirled around, furious with him for destroying her calm when their
arrival was imminent. There was a satisfied glint in his eye as he studied
her. Closing her mouth tightly, Lorna brushed past him to walk swiftly to the
door. She could hear the rattle of the wheels outside.
The carriage was just pulling to a stop when Lorna opened the door. An inner
sense told her that Benteen was a step behind her. She squared her shoulders
against him as she walked out from the cabin to greet her special guest. The
boys were already running forward to meet the visitors. When Lorna noticed the
grass stain on the seat of Webb's short pants, her irritation increased.
Bull Giles swung down from the driver's seat, his gaze running over Lorna. She
was conscious of it, but she wasn't able to meet his eyes, not when she knew
that Benteen was keenly observing both of them. It created a strain in her
manner when she wanted to make a good impression on her afternoon guest.
She called Webb and Arthur to her side as Bull Giles moved to open the
carriage door, offering his hand to assist the woman seated in back. When Lady
Crawford stepped out, Lorna was struck again by the woman's regal bearing, an
effect made more dramatic by the sheer silk blouse and long satin skirt, both
jet-black. She looked older than she had the last time Lorna had seen her-age
lines showed around her dark, nearly black eyes-but oddly no less beautiful.
As Lady Crawford moved gracefully forward to greet her, Lorna's instinct told
her to curtsy, but Benteen's hand closed on the curve of her waist as if to
check the movement. She stiffened slightly under his firm grip and remained
erect.
"It's a great pleasure to see you again, your ladyship." Lorna welcomed the
woman with a proffered hand that was briefly taken and released.
"Please. Let's dispense with the formalities on this meeting. I would like you
to call me Elaine," she requested as her gaze swung pointedly to Benteen.
"This is your husband?"
While his wife made the introductions, Elaine watched her son's face closely
Page 142
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
but she saw no recognition there. It wasn't surprising really, considering how
small he had been and how much she had changed from a simple Texas girl to a
member of England's ruling class. He showed a marked disinterest in her, yet
she sensed a tension coming from him and wondered at its cause.
The two little boys were introduced to her. The heritage of Calder blood
showed strongly in both of them, and Elaine remarked on it. Inwardly she was
uncomfortable with the idea of having grandchildren. Growing old was something
she fought, and the children were proof of her advancing age, regardless of
the lies the mirror told.
"Mr. Giles." She partially turned to address the guide. "Would you fetch me
the two presents on the carriage seat?" Certain of his obedience, she kept her
attention focused on the couple, her glance straying more often to Benteen. "I
brought you each a little something to show my appreciation for your
hospitality today. I wasn't aware of your two children or I would have
included a small gift for them."
"You shouldn't have brought us anything," Lorna protested.
"My wife is right. We must refuse," Benteen stated with a show of that
stubborn Calder pride Elaine remembered so well.
"Nonsense." With an autocratic gesture she motioned for Giles to hand them
their gifts. "They are merely token presents. A jar of lotion for your wife
and some cigars for you. Mere trifles, I assure you."
Benteen grudgingly accepted the gift while his wife was much less reluctant.
But Elaine's interest was caught by the glance he shot the guide, Giles. It
was dark with suspicion and mistrust when Giles presented his wife with her
gift. Elaine was quick to note the way his wife avoided looking directly at
the guide. It seemed they were not quite the happy family unit that they had
first appeared to be.
"Would you like to come into the cabin?" Lorna invited. "I fixed some tea and
cakes." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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as secure as the house implied.
Lorna pulled at the neckline of her dress, trying to force it higher so not so
much of her breasts would show, but her buntline had increased since having
the boys. The bodice of the dress simply wouldn't stretch to cover the swell
of her breasts.
Her eyes critically studied her image reflected by the mirror. Immodest or
not, Lorna was going to wear it. This was her best dress. She refused to
entertain her English guest wearing one of her plain, everyday dresses. Her
fingertips traced over her cheek, testing its smoothness.
A second image appeared in the mirror, startling her. Benteen had come up
behind her with cat-soft steps. His rugged, lean-jawed face was next to hers
in the mirror. Their eyes locked together for a long second before Lorna
turned around to face him. His hand moved to lightly stroke the curve of her
throat while his gaze followed its path.
"Giles will appreciate the time you've taken to make yourself beautiful," he
remarked cynically while his fingers continued their downward journey to
wander over the exposed swell of her breasts.
"I didn't do it for him," Lorna insisted sharply, irritated that he should say
such a thing and all the while aware of the way her flesh tingled under his
Page 141
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
touch. "Besides, I don't even know that he's bringing Lady Crawford."
"He is," Benteen stated. "And he'll notice how you look."
"I can't help that," she protested as his fingers forced their way under the
already strained material of the dress's neckline and followed its dipping
line. "Why must you keep harping about him?"
"He wants to do what I'm doing right now with you." The flat of his hand
spread across the small of her back as his fingers finished their climb to her
shoulder. "He'd like to take you away from me. You know that, too."
His eyes challenged her to deny it, but she couldn't. "There isn't any reason
for you to be concerned about that."
"Isn't there?" His hand applied pressure to bring her against the lower half
of his body. "Then tell me you don't like him."
"But I do like him-as a friend," Lorna qualified her answer, but refused to
lie about her feelings for Bull Giles.
"He'll use that someday, Lorna," Benteen warned. "That's why he's hanging
around this area because of you. Nothing else is keeping him here. You can't
trust him."
"You're exaggerating." But there was a grain of doubt within her. "This isn't
the time to talk about it anyway. They'll be coming any-"
"They," Benteen cut across her words. "You are expecting him to come."
"Benteen, please don't do this." He had no cause to be jealous, but she
couldn't seem to convince him of it.
His fingers dug into her shoulderbone to pull her the rest of the way to him.
There was a fire in his kiss, as if he wanted to sear his brand on her lips
and mark her the way he marked all the rest of his possessions. When he lifted
his head, her breath was coming quickly. She was angered and aroused at the
same time. The contradiction showed in the fiery sparkle of her eyes and the
swollen softness of her lips. Pivoting, Lorna turned to survey the damages in
the mirror.
"There isn't time for that," Benteen said. "The carriage was approaching when
I came in."
She whirled around, furious with him for destroying her calm when their
arrival was imminent. There was a satisfied glint in his eye as he studied
her. Closing her mouth tightly, Lorna brushed past him to walk swiftly to the
door. She could hear the rattle of the wheels outside.
The carriage was just pulling to a stop when Lorna opened the door. An inner
sense told her that Benteen was a step behind her. She squared her shoulders
against him as she walked out from the cabin to greet her special guest. The
boys were already running forward to meet the visitors. When Lorna noticed the
grass stain on the seat of Webb's short pants, her irritation increased.
Bull Giles swung down from the driver's seat, his gaze running over Lorna. She
was conscious of it, but she wasn't able to meet his eyes, not when she knew
that Benteen was keenly observing both of them. It created a strain in her
manner when she wanted to make a good impression on her afternoon guest.
She called Webb and Arthur to her side as Bull Giles moved to open the
carriage door, offering his hand to assist the woman seated in back. When Lady
Crawford stepped out, Lorna was struck again by the woman's regal bearing, an
effect made more dramatic by the sheer silk blouse and long satin skirt, both
jet-black. She looked older than she had the last time Lorna had seen her-age
lines showed around her dark, nearly black eyes-but oddly no less beautiful.
As Lady Crawford moved gracefully forward to greet her, Lorna's instinct told
her to curtsy, but Benteen's hand closed on the curve of her waist as if to
check the movement. She stiffened slightly under his firm grip and remained
erect.
"It's a great pleasure to see you again, your ladyship." Lorna welcomed the
woman with a proffered hand that was briefly taken and released.
"Please. Let's dispense with the formalities on this meeting. I would like you
to call me Elaine," she requested as her gaze swung pointedly to Benteen.
"This is your husband?"
While his wife made the introductions, Elaine watched her son's face closely
Page 142
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
but she saw no recognition there. It wasn't surprising really, considering how
small he had been and how much she had changed from a simple Texas girl to a
member of England's ruling class. He showed a marked disinterest in her, yet
she sensed a tension coming from him and wondered at its cause.
The two little boys were introduced to her. The heritage of Calder blood
showed strongly in both of them, and Elaine remarked on it. Inwardly she was
uncomfortable with the idea of having grandchildren. Growing old was something
she fought, and the children were proof of her advancing age, regardless of
the lies the mirror told.
"Mr. Giles." She partially turned to address the guide. "Would you fetch me
the two presents on the carriage seat?" Certain of his obedience, she kept her
attention focused on the couple, her glance straying more often to Benteen. "I
brought you each a little something to show my appreciation for your
hospitality today. I wasn't aware of your two children or I would have
included a small gift for them."
"You shouldn't have brought us anything," Lorna protested.
"My wife is right. We must refuse," Benteen stated with a show of that
stubborn Calder pride Elaine remembered so well.
"Nonsense." With an autocratic gesture she motioned for Giles to hand them
their gifts. "They are merely token presents. A jar of lotion for your wife
and some cigars for you. Mere trifles, I assure you."
Benteen grudgingly accepted the gift while his wife was much less reluctant.
But Elaine's interest was caught by the glance he shot the guide, Giles. It
was dark with suspicion and mistrust when Giles presented his wife with her
gift. Elaine was quick to note the way his wife avoided looking directly at
the guide. It seemed they were not quite the happy family unit that they had
first appeared to be.
"Would you like to come into the cabin?" Lorna invited. "I fixed some tea and
cakes." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]