The Wildest Heart

“Here you are, miss. But you’re gonna need some help with that. Want me to find someone who’ll carry it to the hotel for you?”

I had already observed that most of these rough-looking Western men were almost excruciatingly polite to women, which was more than I could say for Mr. Todd Shannon!

The driver’s kind offer drew Shannon’s attention to me, but I saw his eyes rest on me for only an instant, before sliding away with a kind of contemptuous disregard.

“Thank you,” I said clearly to the man, “but I believe that I am supposed to be met, even though I did not have the forethought to send a telegram first.”

My English accent must have given me away, for I saw three pairs of eyes fasten on me at that moment, registering various shades of shock.

Todd Shannon’s mouth curled derisively under his moustache, Flo Jeffords put a hand up before her mouth as if to stifle a giggle or a gasp, and only Mark Shannon retained enough composure to leap from the buggy and come towards me, tipping his derby as he came.

“Excuse me, but we are here to meet Lady Rowena Dangerfield. By any chance…”

I put my hand out coolly. “How nice of you! You must be Mark Shannon? Your mother has spoken of you often.”

I felt an almost vindictive satisfaction in seeing Todd Shannon’s face change, his strange, greeny-blue eyes going frosty.

He didn’t move his horse forward, but sat on it looking at me. “You’re Guy’s daughter?”

I gave a deliberately affected laugh. “Well! I should certainly hope so. I would hardly be here if I was not, would I?”

“Let me take your trunk and your portmanteau. I’m certainly sorry we didn’t recognize you earlier…”

Mark Shannon tried hard to be tactful, but Todd Shannon whose lips had tightened, spoke abruptly.

“You don’t look like Guy,” he said frowningly, “and you don’t dress like I’d have expected.” His frosty eyes swept over me. “Thought Guy had arranged for you to have some money.”

“Uncle Todd!”

As I heard Mark Shannon’s dismayed exclamation, I realized that telltale, furious color had flared to my cheeks. “Mr. Shannon, if you have any doubts about my identity I shall be glad to resolve them when we get off this street! But in the meantime, I should like to make it plain that you are far more uncouth and—and rude than I had been given to expect!”

I heard Flo Jeffords gasp, her blue eyes widening, but Todd Shannon merely grunted. “Got a temper, huh? Well, you’re right on one point, this ain’t no place to discuss private matters. Mark, if you’ll escort the lady to the hotel, I’ll go ahead and make arrangements. Ma’am…”

He touched his hat brim with deliberate casualness and wheeled his horse around, while I fought to control the rage that shook me, rendering me incapable of speech for some seconds.

I was only half-aware of Mark Shannon’s embarrassed attempts at an apology as he handed me into the buggy. I acknowledged his introduction to Flo Jeffords with a stiff inclination of my head, while she made no efforts to hide the fact that she was studying me curiously.

“You mustn’t mind Pa! It’s just his way. He always says what he’s thinkin’ and it makes people mad.” She giggled nervously. “But goodness’ sakes! We’d been imagining you to be so different! You know—”

Mark Shannon broke in smoothly. “What Flo is trying to say is that she’s read too many romances! I’ve warned her that all Englishwomen do not go around wearing tiaras in their hair and carrying lorgnettes. But I do apologize for my uncle’s unwarranted rudeness. I think there are times when he deliberately tries to shock people, just to see how they react.”

I think that Todd Shannon and I had already declared war. My long hours of travel in the intense heat had set my nerves on edge, and I was in no mood to back down when he continued to provoke me during the confrontation that followed.

I found, when we reached the hotel, that Mr. Shannon had hired a small private room, obviously a bedroom at one time, but now converted into a place where businessmen could confer in private.

He hadn’t even troubled to stay in the lobby until we arrived. I ascended the stairs with Mark Shannon and his cousin with an air, I hoped, of cool composure, but when I entered the room to find my new partner seated at a table with a bottle of whiskey and a half-filled glass before him, and he did not even rise but merely nodded, I felt my composure crack.

I ignored him and turned to Mark, who was looking extremely uncomfortable. “Is he always so mannerless? Or does he think to drive me away by this deliberate show of boorishness?”

“I—I really don’t—” Mark stammered awkwardly, only to be interrupted by a deliberate snort.

“Huh! Why don’t you ask her if she makes a habit of travelin’ looking like an old-fashioned schoolmarm, in clothes that couldn’t have cost more’n a few dollars apiece when they were new? What’s the matter, miss?” This time he eased his big body around in his chair so that he faced me, his eyes narrow. “We Western folk not good enough to be treated to a sight of your fine English gowns?”

I looked back at him steadily. This was definitely a man I should be careful of. Obviously Todd Shannon was far from being a fool!

“I don’

t see that it is any of your business what kind of garments I choose to travel in, Mr. Shannon! But let us, by all means, get a few things straight at the very beginning.” I accepted the chair that Mark hastily dragged out for me, noticing that Flo Jeffords had made herself inconspicuous in a corner of the room, where she sat biting her lower lip, and gazing in an almost nervous fashion at her stepfather.