Twin of Ice (Montgomery/Taggert 6)

No matter how Houston remembered Kane, he was, in life, more than she imagined.

“I have known Marc all my life,” she said coolly, “and I may see any friend I care to. Besides, my mother was with me.”

“You think I don’t know that? At least your mother’s a sensible woman.”

“I have no idea what you mean.” She began to toy with her parasol.

“What were you doin’ with Marc Fenton?” He leaned toward her in a threatening way.

Houston decided to tell him the truth. “My stepfather has made me promise to ask as many people as possible about you. Mr. Gates arranged for me to meet Marc so I could ask him about you. I would have talked to Mr. Fenton, but he refused the request.” She glared at him. “And I will probably speak to a Miss Lavinia LaRue.”

“Viney?” he asked, then grinned. “Gates gave you this advice? Not bad. I wonder how come he never made any money? Wait a minute, what if you ask somebody and he—or she—says I’m no good?”

“Then I’ll have to reconsider our marriage,” she said Primly.

She wasn’t prepared for his explosion of anger.

“We’re supposed to be married one week from tomorrow, yet you just might call it off at any minute!? Because somebody says he don’t like the cut of my shirt? I’ll tell you somethin’, Miss Chandler, you can ask ever’ man I ever dealt with and ever’ woman I ever slept with about me and, if they’re honest, you’re gonna find I ain’t cheated a man in my life.”

He got out of the wagon and walked under a tree, looking at the distant horizon.

“Damnation, but Edan told me a lady’d cause me nothin’ but trouble. He said, ‘Kane, marry some farm girl, move to the country and raise horses.’ He told me not to get mixed up with no lady.”

Houston managed to climb down from the tall wagon by herself. “I didn’t mean to upset you so badly,” she said quietly.

“Upset me!” he bellowed into her face. “I ain’t had any peace since I met you. I’m rich, I ain’t bad to look at, I offer you marriage and you turn me down flat. I don’t hear nothin’ from you, then I find out your sister’s gonna marry the man you’re so crazy in love with. But, still, you won’t marry me. Then maybe you will. Then maybe you won’t.

“For days you’re at my house bossin’ ever’body around, includin’ me, and then you act like we got a bad case of measles and you don’t come near the place. One mornin’ I wake up and you’re lookin’ at me like you’re starvin’ and when I touch you, you break a water pitcher over my head and yell at me that I gotta respect you. But the next time I touch you, you pull me down on the floor and nearly tear my clothes off. But I respect you and I leave you a damn virgin, just like you wanted. But what do I get? Next thing I know, you’re wonderin’ if I want my ring back, an’ it’s back to maybe you ain’t gonna marry me.

“This mornin’ your mother come to me, told me the right suit to wear to church,” he gave her a look of reproach, “and invited me to Sunday dinner.”

He stopped and glared at her. “So here I am, all dressed up, with you tellin’ me maybe you’ll marry me, maybe you won’t, and it all depends on what people say about me. Houston, I’ve had all this I’m gonna take. Right now you’re gonna give me a yes or no and you’re gonna stick to it. If you say yes now and no the day of the weddin’, so help me, Houston, I’ll drag you down the aisle by your hair. Now, what you got to say?”

“Yes,” she said softly, and the amount of joy inside her was amazing.

“And what if somebody tells you I’m worthless? Or that I’ve killed people?” he asked with some hostility.

“I Will still marry you.”

He turned away. “You dreadin’it so much? I mean, I know you wanted to marry Westfield, and I ain’t exactly been a gentleman all the time in our courtin’, but so far you’ve done your part of the bargain. In public, you’ve always acted like you didn’t mind marryin’ me.”

Houston’s relief that he hadn’t been repulsed by her was so great she began trembling. She wasn’t going to spend her life crocheting but was going to live with this man who was unlike anyone else.

She moved to stand in front of him. “After Sunday dinner, most young couples go to Fenton Park to walk and talk and just spend time together. Perhaps you’d like to go with me.”

“I need to . . . ,” he began. “If you still want to be seen with me after dinner with your family, I’m willin’.”

She slipped her arm through his. “Just watch me, don’t talk with your mouth full, don’t shout at anyone, and above all, don’t curse.”

“You don’t ask much, do you?” he said grimly.

“Pretend that the purchase of Mr. Vanderbilt’s apartment building depends on this dinner. Maybe that will help you remember your manners.”

Kane looked startled. “That reminds me. I need to—.” He glanced down at her. “You know, I think I’d rather spend the afternoon sittin’ in the park. It’s been a long time since I took a whole day off.”

Kane seemed to enjoy himself immensely at Sunday dinner. Opal fawned over him, and Duncan asked his advice

. Houston watched them. They’d expected a monster and found a pleasant man.