The Wildest Heart

I controlled my rising temper with difficulty. “How flattering to me. But if I should ever decide to marry, I’ll make my own choice, thank you!”

“You’re like a little kitten, showing your claws! Well, that’s all right. Wouldn’t want you if you was a doormat. Just don’t take too long, hear? I ain’t a patient man.”

He laughed down into my flushed, angry face and began to whirl me around until I was breathless, holding me tightly against him. He was determined to show me his strength and how puny and insignificant my efforts would be if I continued to fight him.

But I would show him! Yes, I would show him exactly how much he’d mistaken his woman!

Nine

“How are you and Pa getting on?” Flo Jeffords asked maliciously. “He sure seems mighty pleased with himself!”

Clad only in a thin, ribbon-trimmed chemise, she stretched her arms above her head like a lazy cat, but I saw how closely her eyes watched me in the mirror.

Sitting on the edge of her bed, I continued to brush my hair, shrugging casually. “I can’t help that. He takes entirely too much for granted, of course, but that’s his mistake.”

“You gave in about staying the night, didn’t you?”

“It would have made me appear ridiculous to have made a scene. And I could hardly find my way back home by myself.”

“I know the way Pa goes about things. He’s going to want you to stay on. First we’ll all sleep in late, and then there’ll be a big breakfast. He’ll take you riding, and maybe ask if you want to see the books. He’ll find reasons to keep you busy until it’s dinnertime again.”

“Oh?” I raised an eyebrow. “It sounds as if he does this often!”

“Are you jealous! Of course he’s done it before. Pa’s a man, and there have been women who have caught his eye. Don’t think you’re the only one. But I guess your being half owner of the SD makes it different.”

“It makes no difference to me what his motives are,” I stated calmly. “In any case, I intend to leave very early, before the rest of your stepfather’s guests are up, if possible. Since you’re no more anxious than I to have me stay, why don’t you sheathe your claws long enough to wake me at about six or seven, shall we say? He’ll sleep late too, I hope!”

She swung around to face me, her eyes suddenly gleaming.

“You mean that? You’d actually go against Pa that way? Oh, but he’ll be fit to be tied! My goodness, I’d hate to face him after you did a thing like that!”

“I’m sure you’ll contrive some way to fasten all the blame on me. Tell him I insisted, and you could do nothing to deter me. After all, I’m not his prisoner!”

Flo giggled spitefully. “It might just be worth getting him mad at me, just to see his face! You really mean it? He won’t sleep late of course. He’s always up at six like the rest of the men, no matter how late he stays up. But he’ll ride out with them, and he won’t be back before nine or ten. If you’re really determined, I’ll lend you a riding habit.” She laughed again. “Maybe I’ll even ride part of the way with you. I don’t think I’d like to face either Pa or Mark, until they’ve both had a chance to cool down some.”

“That’s very kind of you. And you’re welcome to ride all the way with me, if you’d like to. I daresay Marta can fix us an adequate breakfast.” I stifled a yawn. “And now that that’s settled, don’t you think we ought to get some sleep while we can?”

“You’re a cool one, I must say that much for you,” Flo admitted grudgingly as she climbed into the wide bed beside me. She stretched again and yawned. “Heavens, I’m so tired. But I’ll be sure and wake in time. I’ve done with much less sleep before, when I’ve had to.”

I was tired too, and in spite of the fact that I was not used to sharing a bed with someone else I must have slept soundly, waking only when Flo shook me by the shoulder.

“It’s past six! Pa rode out a little less than an hour ago, all fired up because one of the boys rode in to say someone cut one of the fences. That means we have a little more time. You still want to leave?”

I sat bolt upright, shaking the hair out of my eyes. “I certainly do!” Flo was dressed already, in a maroon riding habit with a divided skirt. She was almost friendly this morning.

“There’s warm water in the pitcher, and I laid out my green habit for you to wear. You do ride astride, don’t you?”

“I’ve done it before,” I said grimly, remembering the shocked comments this had excited among the good British ladies of Jhanpur.

“Well, then, while you’re dressing I’ll go downstairs and have two horses saddled up. Better hurry, because when Pa finds out he’s likely to come after us!”

I hurried, used to dressing fast if I had to. I had folded my velvet ball gown carefully before I went to bed, but I would have to leave it. Perhaps Mark would bring it back to me. I slipped the jewelry I’d worn into the pocket of Flo’s riding habit, a garment which fit me adequately enough. Having no time to do much with my hair I merely combed it free of tangles and braided it, coiling the single, thick braid to form a loose knot at the back of my neck.

I had hardly done so when Flo sped back upstairs, dosing the door behind her with exaggerated care. “Do come on, but you have to be very quiet. Mark’s room is at the end of the hall, and I don’t want him to hear us.”

I was reminded of some schoolgirlish escapade—the kind of mischief I had never had an opportunity to indulge in.

For the first time I had an uneasy feeling—a kind of apprehension that I was behaving in a silly, spiteful fashion. But it was too late for regrets now, and if Todd Shannon thought I was running away from him, let him think it! For now, I should think only of escape.