Courting Miss Hattie (10 page)

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"
I
appreciate your enthusiasm, son," Arthur Turpin said, looking from his rocking chair to the couple occupying the settee. "But rice will never make it around here. We don't know how to grow it or what to do with it. We don't even eat it."

"But we're going to learn, Mr. Turpin," Reed said. Dressed in his best white shirt, the tiny front pleats neatly pressed and his sleeves unrolled despite the heat, he looked exactly what a young gentleman come calling was expected to look like. "In the next ten, maybe twenty years, this whole county is going to be planted in rice. I'm sure of it."

The older man laughed. "Well, I'm not sure of it. And I can promise you, I'll never invest one cent in that kind of prospect. I can't imagine a down-to-earth woman like Hattie Colfax risking her hard-earned money in such a scheme."

Bessie Jane giggled. "Maybe being courted by old
Ancil
Drayton has addled her mind."

Reed looked sternly at her, and she immediately straightened her mouth into a more serious expression. Her eyes, however, continued to dance. She always felt slighted when her father sat up for hours talking business with Reed, and she knew a surefire way to get Reed's attention was to make fun of Hattie Colfax.

"I expect a lot of people will have their doubts about our new crop," Reed continued. "But I don't intend to let any
naysayers
make me nervous."

Turpin rose with a little chuckle. "That's what I like about you, boy. You're not just smart, you're determined. You're going to be somebody in this town. I've never doubted it. That's what I told little Bessie Jane." He smiled at his daughter.

"'That Reed Tyler's the one you ought to be setting your sights on,' I said to her
. '
He's the best one of the lot.'"

"Oh, Daddy," Bessie Jane said, a blush staining her cheeks.

"All right, all right, honeybunch." He chucked his daughter under the chin. "I'll be letting you two have a bit of sparking time. Not much, mind you, young man," he added, pointing a finger at Reed in a joking imitation of an overly prudent father. "I'll be leaving the door open. Don't stay too late."

"Yes, sir," Reed answered dutifully.

The older man was hardly out of the room when Bessie Jane scooted closer to him, and with a slight smile he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"I hope Daddy didn't make you mad," she said, pouting prettily. She was wearing a cerise muslin dress ornamented with tiny white dots. The gown flowed from her shoulders like a confection one might purchase at the soda
fountain,
and the sweet loveliness of her mouth and eyes had Reed almost forgetting what she'd said.

"No, I'm used to it by now," he answered after a moment, grinning. "It amazes me that he likes me so much and thinks that all my plans are so foolish."

"It's just that he has his own plans for you, Reed." She inched a little nearer, so that he could feel the warmth from her knee as it almost, but not quite, touched his. "He doesn't mind your interest in farming. He just hopes that you'll give it up when we wed and come into the business with him."

He looked at her and ran a finger gently along the side of her face. Her skin was pale and flawless, and the slight roses high in her cheeks never came from a paste bottle or coloring paper. "I hope you understand, Bessie Jane, that I have no intention of doing that."

She lowered her chin,
then
looked up at him coyly through her lashes. "It doesn't matter to me what you do, Reed. I just want to be your wife. That's all that's important to me."

He smiled. Pulling her into his arms, he kissed her softly, sweetly. She sighed, and he released her to gaze lovingly into her face. "You are so beautiful," he whispered. "When I'm not with you, I forget how really pretty you are."

"Thank you, Reed," she answered, but there was a strange distance in her eyes. Reed didn't understand it. He always wondered if she doubted his sincerity, or if his compliments seemed lame when compared to those other beaux had given her. He quickly pushed her lack of response from him and set about trying to cheer her. "I got some good news today in town," he said.

"What?" she asked, always eager for the latest
gossip.

"Miss Hattie and I have a new partner in the rice."

Bessie Jane opened her mouth with surprise, and a delighted giggle escaped. She'd already anticipated that Reed's extra crop would cut into the little time they usually had to spend together. Another man to share the work would be a welcome addition.

"Who in the world did you find to go in with you?" she asked, leaning forward.

"One of your old beaux, actually."

"Who?" Overwhelmingly curious now, she mentally ran through the long list of gentlemen who had found their way to her door.

"I can see it's hard for you to guess," Reed said dryly. "You've had so many
beaux,
you can no longer remember them all!"

She laughed, enjoying the game. "I've had a good many," she admitted. "But only one that I can recall who ever bored me to tears by talking about rice."

"Bored you to tears!" He tweaked her nose. "You should have been taking notes, young lady. Every word from my mouth is an oracle most profound!"

Her eyes widened in a semblance of awe. "Oh, do forgive me, Herr Professor. In the future I'll consider every foolish remark you make as if it were written on the stone tablets from
Mount Sinai
."

"You're getting downright sassy," he said, shaking a finger at her in teasing reprimand. "I've half a mind not to tell you."

She giggled. "Come on, Reed. Confess. Which of my beaux have you recruited to work for
Horseface
Hattie?"

"Bessie Jane."

She raised her hands in a gesture of supplication. "Sorry, let me try again. Who is helping you out in Hattie Colfax's rice field?"

"Harmon
Leege
."

Bessie Jane froze, and she was momentarily stunned into silence. Her face paled as she stumbled over words of reply. "Harm—Harmon
Leege
never called on me!"

Reed was startled at the vehemence in her voice. "Well, I didn't mean—"

"Do you think I would have allowed a
junkman
to call on me?"

He could feel her trembling beside him, and worriedly tightened his arm around her. "Bessie Jane, I—"

"My father sent him away immediately.
I never
…
"
Her eyes suddenly grew round with horror. "Did he say something to indicate he had spent time with me?"

"No, Bessie Jane, he—"

"What did he say about me?"

"Nothing. We didn't even speak of you."

"Oh."
Flushing
with guilt, she licked her lips nervously, as if suddenly realizing she had made too much of nothing. She attempted to counter her overreaction. "I wouldn't want any gossip being spread about me," she explained. "Sometimes gentlemen whose suits are not well received say terrible things to ease their pride. Just because I was not willing to walk out with a man who is obviously not my type, I shouldn't be the subject of slander."

Reed patted her shoulder. "Of course not, sweetheart. And I would never let any man speak a word against you. I wouldn't worry about Harm, either. He seems like a very decent and upright fellow. I'm sure he would never spread untruths about you."

 
"'Decent'
? '
Upright'?" Her tone was genuinely puzzled. "Daddy says he and his father are the most worthless excuses for human beings in this town."

"Your father," Reed said, his jaw set firmly, "is sometimes harsh and a bit hasty to judge."

Bessie Jane was surprised at this criticism of her father. She didn't always like Daddy's decisions, but she never considered that he might be wrong.

"Certainly Old Man
Leege
is no sterling citizen," Reed went
on. "But he's never harmed anyone but himself. And Harmon works hard and has managed to keep them both fed since he was a boy. I would say there's a lot to admire in him."

"Do you really believe that? Do you really think there might be something to admire about that junkman?"

Reed couldn't fathom her puzzled expression, and put it down to his comment about her father. "Yes," he answered, "I do think Harmon is admirable. You're very young, Bessie Jane. Try not to judge people so quickly. Just because Harmon
Leege
is poor doesn't make him any less important or worthy of our respect or our friendship. Only children and the narrow-minded measure the whole world by themselves. It's time for you to grow up a bit, sweetheart. Try to learn to look a little deeper into the people you meet. Treat Harmon
Leege
as you would any other man."

He watched with curiosity the strange series of emotions that raced across Bessie Jane's face. He was about to question her further when the young woman got a grasp on her wildly scattering thoughts. In a ploy to distract him, she reached over and undid a button on his shirt, allowing her small hand to seek his tingling flesh. "Let's not talk about Harmon
Leege
," she whispered. "Let's not talk at all."

She raised her face to his, and he slanted his mouth across hers, taking the sweet warmth she offered. Forgetting the odd expression on her face, forgetting his intuitive awareness that something was amiss, he was aware only of the hot tenderness of her mouth.

Slowly, steadily, the kiss deepened. As Bessie Jane wrapped her arms around his neck, Reed pulled her closer. He could no longer seem to think. Through the layers of clothing, he could feel the hard points of her nipples and couldn't resist the enticement. Rubbing his chest against them, he reveled in the fire that burst inside him.

Taking his hand in hers, Bessie Jane brought his eager fingers to her breast. "Touch me," she murmured. "Don't you want to touch me?"

"Bessie Jane!" he hissed. He freed his hand and set her a respectable distance from him. "Your parents are in the next room."

"Daddy's snoring. Can't you hear him? It's safe, Reed. Please touch me. Please love me."

"Sweetheart, we can't," he said, his voice hoarse, his breathing rough.

"We can. Please, we must," she said, and laid her hand in his lap, touching him intimately.

Reed jumped up as if he'd been shot from a gun. Turning away from her so that she wouldn't see the evidence of his desire, he strode across the room and shut the door. Leaning his forehead against it for a moment, he strove to catch his breath. When he was in control of his body once again, he faced her. "Bessie Jane, you must stop this constant assault on my better judgment." He spoke resolutely, like an irate father or a disapproving older brother.

She bowed her head, not willing to look at him.

"I am as eager to
…
to consummate this relationship as you are," he went on. "But there are proprieties—and dangers."

He ran a hand through his hair and began pacing in front of the settee. "I realize that if I'd practiced more self-control that evening in the barn, you would not be aware of your 'woman's needs.'" He stopped, disconcerted by the expression and its implication. "Without knowing how it is, waiting until we're wed would be easier for you." Halting directly in front of her, he gazed down at the pretty little princess in the frothy pink dress and felt infinitely older and wiser. "Truly, Bessie Jane, I do blame myself, but I cannot undo the past."

He seated himself on the settee at a respectable distance from her. "I'm trying to control my feelings for you," he explained, carefully avoiding words like lust and desire. "But you will also have to try to help me if we're to make it through the next several months." He leaned over and cupped her chin gently in his hand. "If you continue to lure me and tempt me at every opportunity, I will have no choice but to avoid being alone with you as much as possible."

Bessie Jane lowered her eyes in shame. Folding her hands primly in her lap, she whispered, "I'm sorry, Reed. I just want to make us closer. I want to show you I care for you."

Feeling like a heartless cad, Reed patted her hands gently. "I know, sweetheart. But there'll be plenty of time to love each other after we're legally wed."

She nodded, but wouldn't meet his eyes.

A silence fell between them, a silence that embarrassed them both.

* * *

Hattie shaded her eyes as she stared in surprise down the road. Trotting toward her was a large rather grim-looking Hampshire boar, his head held high as if he were the undisputed ruler of the universe. In his wake was Reed, urging him on with angry words, looks of exasperation, and a solid willow switch.

Reed had returned from
Helena
the previous morning with seed and equipment and so many
plans,
one head couldn't hold them all. Harm
Leege
had gone with him, and the two of them had sat at Hattie's table for nearly three hours last evening talking about everything they had seen and learned.

Hattie had never spoken more than a couple of words to young
Leege
before, but she'd been favorably impressed with the handsome man. He'd seemed as excited and hopeful about the rice as Reed, and he quickly grasped the engineering concepts necessary for a successful rice-farming venture.