Twin of Ice (Montgomery/Taggert 6)

“If you don’t take your hand off me I’ll scream, for surely I can suffer no more embarrassment than you have caused me already.”

“Leander!” Duncan said. “Blair is waiting for you.”

Lee reluctantly turned away from Houston, clutched Blair’s arm, shoved her into his buggy and drove away much too fast.

The minute Houston was alone, women descended on her, edging her away from Duncan’s protection. The many faces were concerned, curious, some sympathetic. Mostly, the women seemed to be puzzled.

“Houston, what happened? I thought you and Lee were so happy.”

“How could Leander want Blair? They argue constantly.”

“When was the decision made?”

“Houston, is there someone else?”

“You’re damned right there is, ladies,” came a booming voice from behind them, and they all turned to look up at Kane Taggert. No one in town had ever heard him say much and he had certainly never seemed to be aware of what any of the townspeople were doing.

The women gaped openly at this big man in his rough clothes, with his unkempt beard, as he made his way through them. No one was more surprised than Houston.

/> “I’m sorry I didn’t make the service today or I could a sat with you,” he said as he reached her. “Don’t look so surprised, sweetheart. I know I promised to keep our secret a little longer, but I couldn’t keep quiet after ol’ Lee told ever’body.”

“Secret?” one of the women prompted.

Kane put his arm around Houston. They were an incongruous pair, him hairy, rumpled, her perfect. “Houston broke her engagement to Leander because she fell right smack in love with me. Ladies, she just couldn’t help herself.”

“When did this happen?” one of the women recovered herself enough to ask.

Houston was beginning to breathe again. “It started when Mr. Taggert and I had dinner together at his house,” she whispered, knowing she was going to regret every word later, but now it was nice not to have to admit she’d been jilted.

“But what about Leander?”

“Leander consoled himself with the love of Houston’s dear sister, Blair,” Kane said sweetly. “And now, ladies, we got to be goin’. I hope all of you will come to the weddin’—a double weddin’—in two weeks.” He put his hand on the small of Houston’s back, and pushed her toward his old wagon.

As he drove away, Houston sat rigidly on the edge of her seat.

He halted the wagon at the edge of his own property. Before them spread his acres of garden and in the background was his house. He put up his arms to help her down. “You and me gotta talk.”

Houston was too numb to do anything but obey.

“I woulda come to church to sit with you, but I had some work to do. It looks like I got there just in time. Another minute and them ol’ biddies would of eaten you alive.”

“I beg your pardon.” Houston was only vaguely listening. Until this morning she’d hoped it was all a bad dream, that she’d wake up and Leander and she would still be engaged.

“Are you listenin’ to me at all? What’s wrong with you?”

“Other than public humiliation, Mr. Taggert, nothing is wrong with me.” She stopped. “I apologize. I didn’t mean to burden you with my problems.”

“You ain’t heard a word I’ve said, have you? Didn’t you hear me tell ’em you and me was gonna get married? I invited ’em all to a double weddin’.”

“And I thank you for it,” Houston said, managing a smile. “It was very kind of you to come to my rescue. You would make a splendid knight. Now, I think I should leave.”

“You’re the damnedest woman I ever met! If you don’t marry me, what else you gonna do? You think any of the so-called society men are gonna have you? They’re afraid of the whole Westfield clan. You think Marc Fenton wants you?”

“Marc Fenton?” she asked, puzzled. “Why should Marc, as you put it, ‘want me’?”

“I was just wonderin’, that’s all.” He stepped closer to her. “How come you don’t wanta marry me? I’m rich and I gotta big house and you just got jilted and you ain’t got nothin’ else to do.”

She looked up at him, his size making her a little uneasy, but she wasn’t really afraid of him. Suddenly, all thought of Leander and Blair was gone. “Because I don’t love you,” she said firmly. “And I know nothing about you. For all I know, you could have been married ten times before and have locked all your wives away in the cellar. You look like you’re capable of such a trick,” she said as she looked down her nose at his hairy face and heavy shirt that was torn at the shoulder.