River Lady (James River Trilogy 3)

“I’m sure she does,” Leah said under her breath, but she followed him.

“Just put her on the bed,” Leah directed, “and you can go back to work. I’ll take care of her.”

“She scares me to death when she does that,” Wes said with a frown. “You think I should get a doctor?”

“She’ll be fine, now please go.”

Reluctantly Wesley obeyed her.

“He’s gone,” Leah said. “You can open your eyes now.”

With a bouncy little smile Kim sat up on the bed. “How nice! A featherbed. You look so pretty, Leah.” Her face changed. “I don’t have time anymore to look pretty. Just look at my hair. Dull as mud.”

“What do you want, Kimberly?” Leah asked flatly. “What did you think your fainting was going to get you from Wesley?”

She looked up at Leah with sad eyes. “I never intended to faint, but Wesley always did love it so. John just hates for me to faint. He says such awful things to me that I’ve just about stopped.”

“Chalk one up for John,” Leah murmured.

“But Wesley just loves fainting women. Have you fainted for him?”

“No, Kimberly,” Leah said patiently. “I really need to get to work. I have breakfast to cook and other chores to do and—.”

Kim suddenly buried her face in her hands and began to cry. “Oh Leah,” she wailed, “you aren’t even glad to see me. After the way you ruined my whole life I’d think you could spare a little sympathy for me. I got married and you haven’t even asked me about it and you’re really the best girlfriend I ever had.”

Waves of guilt spread over Leah as she sat on the bed and took Kim into her arms.

“How was your wedding, Kim?”

Kim began to sniff. “Just awful! Just dreadful, awful, terrible, that’s how it was. The only people there were an old skinny man named Lester and his wife and John and me. No one else came to see my pretty dress, no one even wished us happiness.”

She looked up at Leah. “It was the dress I would have worn to marry Wesley if you hadn’t taken him away from me. Oh Leah, I still don’t understand why you did that. Wesley was all I had except Steven, and he never liked me.”

“Kimberly,” Leah began, not knowing what to say.

Kim moved off the bed to stand before Leah. “Look at this awful dress. It’s brown! Did you ever see me wearing brown before? John says it’s better for all the chores he makes me do. And look at my hands! They’re red and raw. Oh how I wish you’d never taken Wesley away from me.”

“If you had Wesley, you’d still have to work. I don’t have any servants and right now I have to cook.” Sweeping past Kim, she left the bedroom to go to the fireplace.

Kim followed her. “But at least Wesley wouldn’t make me do the things at night that John does.”

Leah gave a quick glance skyward. “All men expect ‘night things’ and Wesley is no exception.”

“But is Wesley so…forceful?”

“Yes! Here, sit down and peel this potato.”

“I can do that,” Kim said brightly, taking the potato and a chair. “Are you mad at me, Leah?” she asked after a moment.

“What do you care?” she snapped, then calmed. “Kim, I’m trying to be patient. I’m sorry Wes felt he had to marry me. I certainly never set out to harm anyone and if you’ll remember, Wesley is the one who decided we should stay together so maybe you should be angry with him.”

“Oh well, men,” Kim said blandly, peeling the potato. “Wesley liked you better because you’re so exciting. All sort

s of things happen around you. I’m sure Steven was drowned because he was showing off for you, and Justin fell in love with you, then Wesley decided you are more interesting than I am. And you are, Leah. The only interesting thing I do is faint and my husband doesn’t even like for me to do that. So, see, it really was all your fault. Do you plan to keep Wesley or can I have him back someday?”

“Kimberly,” Leah said slowly, “you’re talking about dissolving two marriages. You can’t do that very easily.”

“I don’t know. Wesley’s friend, Clay, was married to Nicole, then married to someone else, then married to Nicole again. I really truly don’t like John much.”