Denver (23 page)

He rolled over and sat up, looking down at her. “I see Mary O’Malley every day. For Lord’s sake, Dulcie, she’s Silas’ woman!” He threw back the covers and crossed the room. Her gaze ran down his length, and Dulcie thought he was the most handsome man she had ever known. She was curious now, and she loathed Louisa Shumacher. She sat up, watching him, wishing she hadn’t stirred his anger, because now he would leave.

“Come back here, Dan. Just relax and let’s talk a little longer.”

“I should go, Dulcie. I have too much to do to waste away the morning.”

“Waste away dawn is more like it.” She pulled on her wrapper and slippers, watching him as he washed and dressed.

“You can stay for breakfast.”

“I’ll go by the O’Malleys’—” He broke off and looked at Dulcie, scowling suddenly. “Dulcie, Mary O’Malley is Silas’ woman. She loves him. I’m engaged
to Louisa Shumacher, and it isn’t Mary O’Malley who…Never mind.”

She shrugged, knowing he was angry and would leave, no matter what she said. “Marriage lasts for a long time. And you sure do talk about Miss O’Malley.”

“That’s all it is, talk. She’s a friend and she’s going to marry my best friend. And she’s a little plain. Not real plain, just a little.”

“You’re arguing with yourself. Earlier you told me she wasn’t plain at all.”

“She’s not, Dulcie,” he said evenly. “I’m in love with Louisa Shumacher, not Mary O’Malley!”

“Sure, Dan. I hope you like Louisa as well as Mary.”

“Of course I do! I just don’t see her as often. I see Mary every night, and we talk a lot. She’s a friend. She’s one of the best friends I’ve had. So are you. We talk. I’m in love with someone else; she’s in love with someone else. She’s a friend.” Suddenly he relaxed and grinned. “And she’s a damned good cook! Almost a match for you.”

She laughed, wishing she could get him back in a better humor. “And does Louisa cook?”

“I’ll hire a cook. I should get dressed and go to work.”

She crossed the room to him, and he rested his hands on her shoulders. His gaze lowered to the half-open wrapper and he ran his fingers along her bare flesh, pushing the folds of silk farther apart.

“You’re one of the most beautiful women in the world, Dulcie,” he whispered, and kissed her. “If I don’t leave now, I’ll be late to work,” he said in a husky voice.

“It’s all right with me if you stay.”

“I won’t earn my living if I don’t get going. See you later, hon.” He winked and left, and she moved to the window to watch him. She wondered how many times she had watched him go and wished she could hold him. She stared at his golden head, his broad shoulders, and wondered if he really loved Louisa Shumacher
or was simply dazzled by her beauty and her body. He talked about Mary O’Malley constantly, too much to simply be a friend. Dulcie had known many men and women, and to her it looked as if Dan Castle was falling in love with Mary O’Malley, whether he knew it or not.

She watched him and thought of the cold Louisa. And Silas. Silas and Dan were best friends and Silas was wildly in love with Mary O’Malley. Dulcie leaned against the cold windowpane. She hoped that Dan wasn’t headed for years of heartache if he married the wrong woman, but men were fools where beautiful women were concerned.

Eight hours later, Reuben Knelville was ushered into the Shumacher house to escort Louisa to the new Denver Musical performance. Louisa took his arm, gazing up at him as they left the house. She wore her red taffeta, hoping to stun Reuben and catch the attention of everyone tonight. She was excited beyond measure because she could tell Reuben of her engagement to Dan. Once in the carriage, Reuben turned to her, caressing her throat. “You look beautiful, Louisa. And you look as if you have a secret.”

“I do have! How amazing you’d guess, Reuben!”

“So what is this great secret?”

“It’s a secret, so I shan’t tell you,” she said, and his amusement vanished.

“You think you’ll tease me all evening, Louisa?”

Her heart skipped because she heard the underlying threat. “And if I do?”

“I’ll have to punish you,” he said, catching her wrists and holding her arms behind her back while she struggled playfully, wiggling and pressing her breasts against him.

“Set me free, Reuben!”

“Tell me, Louisa. Tell me!” He kissed her forcefully, stroking her, and she gasped. She finally felt his hand release her wrists, and she wound them around his neck, grinding her body against his, hearing his
sharp intake of breath. She kissed him wildly, relishing his kisses, forgetting briefly her purpose.

Suddenly he turned her chin up. “Tell me,” he ordered.

“I’m about to become engaged to Dan Castle. This is the last night I can go out with you.” She had meant to wait and torment him for hours before revealing her delicious secret, but now it was out.

Suddenly he threw back his head and laughed. “You little liar. You don’t have a secret. You did that so I would kiss you!”

Her annoyance quickly deepened to anger. “It’s so. This is the last time I’ll go out with you. I’ll marry Dan Castle next fall.”

As Reuben’s smile faded, she felt a glimmer of satisfaction.

“You can’t be serious.”

She slanted him a look, a tickle of delight coming. “I’m very serious.”

He grasped her arms painfully and turned her to face him. “Your parents won’t want you to wed a man like Castle! Our fathers have discussed a union between you and me.”

“Nonetheless, I’m about to become engaged to him.”

“You don’t love him. You barely know the man.”

“I love him.”

Reuben stared at her and suddenly yanked her to him, kissing her passionately until her head was spinning and her desire flamed once more. He stopped as abruptly as he’d started, “Tell me you love him and can kiss me like that, Louisa! It’s me you love, isn’t it?”

“No, Reuben,” she whispered. He kissed her again, pushing her down in the carriage, fondling her. He raised his head. “Say you love me.”

“I love you,” she whispered, loving to be kissed. “I think I love you both.”

“You can’t. You need to be married, but to me, not to a man no one knows, who has nothing. He’s a penniless builder.”

“He isn’t penniless. He’s going to build a house for Benjamin Corning!”

“Corning? I don’t believe it.”

“He is. And he has thousands of dollars in Papa’s bank!”

“Is he already commissioned to build the Corning house?”

“No, but Corning asked Dan to draw up some plans.” She lay on the seat of the carriage and realized she had allowed Reuben to gain the upper hand. She was at a disadvantage, disheveled beneath him. She pushed at him, trying to sit up, but he pushed her back down as a frosty smile crossed his face. “When is the engagement to be announced?”

“Let me up, Reuben.”

“Answer my question. Maybe there isn’t actually an engagement after all.”

“Yes, there is.” She squirmed as he kept her pinned down. “Reuben, I shall look—”

“As if I tumbled you in the carriage. Answer my question before I do something you don’t like.”

“We can get engaged three months from yesterday.”

“Three months! So why won’t you go out with me during that time? Either you’re engaged or you’re not. And you’re not.” Reuben laughed again, moving away. “A damned postponed engagement, and you melt with my kisses! Your parents don’t want you to marry him. They’re biding for time to prove he’s the wrong man for you. And why you want this engagement, I can’t imagine. The man is nobody, drifting in out of nowhere. You know nothing about him. He can’t take care of you, Louisa. And beware, in three months I may forget all about you.”

She drew herself up, angry with him. She had wanted a different reaction. She had expected Reuben to grovel and beg and hang on her every word, not gaze at her with sardonic amusement lighting his eyes. “Dan will be wealthy when he builds Benjamin Corning’s house, because if Corning’s house is good, others will flock to him to build.”

“Time will tell,” Reuben said coldly, making a mental note to have his father talk to Benjamin Corning. He gazed at Louisa. She was the most beautiful woman in town, and damned if he would hand her over to Castle! He would deflower her first. He could control her. She was determined to be a leader in society, and she was sensual, beautiful, educated. He expected to marry her, and now that a threat loomed, he realized he did want to marry her. He wasn’t going to allow a drifter to come into town and take Louisa right out of his arms. Her eyes sparkled with mischief, and he suspected she relished trying to stir his jealousy. “There are other beautiful women here,” he said calmly. “Marian Comber, for one.”

Louisa drew a sharp breath. “Dan Castle is dashing! He makes me faint with his kisses. He knows what pleases women.”

Reuben’s amusement vanished while his gray eyes flashed with anger. He leaned close.

“You’re playing a dangerous game, Louisa. Your future is at stake. You don’t act as if you find disfavor in my kisses either. Perhaps you’re just a beautiful little slut who likes all men to handle you.”

Enraged, she reached out to slap him. He caught her wrist and twisted it, making her gasp.

“No, you won’t strike me. I know what you need, Louisa. And it isn’t a long trial engagement.” He bent down to kiss her breasts, holding her while she struggled and called him names. Finally her struggles ceased and she closed her eyes. She relished his kisses, wishing she could marry tomorrow. She wanted to be kissed and held and touched. Her senses were stormed by Reuben as his hands were everywhere, daring to touch her in places he never had before. His hands slipped beneath her skirts, stroking her legs, moving between them.

“No! Reuben, stop.”

His hands moved over her, touching her. She grasped his wrists and twisted away to sit up, gasping as she straightened her clothing. “You shouldn’t have taken such liberties.”

He sat in his corner watching her. “For all practical purposes, you’re engaged to be engaged. That’s absurd.”

“I won’t go out with you again.”

“Three months. We’ll see how successful your Dan Castle is while you’re engaged, Louisa. If he isn’t one of the leading men in Denver, you know your father won’t allow the engagement. If you don’t break it off first.”

“I shan’t. Dan Castle will succeed. You’ll see.”

She saw the dark anger burning in Reuben’s eyes and felt a flash of excitement.

As Dan worked, his chisel slipped. He swore, shaking his hand, turning around to see Mary enter the room.

“What happened?”

“I cut my hand.” He pulled out a handkerchief and she came across the room to take his hand and look at it. “Come here and let me wash it and bind it up for you.”

“It’s all right.”

“Come along. You sound like Brian.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said with amusement as she took his wrist and walked down the hall to her room. A fire burned low in the grate, and as she washed his cut, he gazed around the room and was surprised at how cheerful it was, more so than the rest of the house. A blue-and-white quilt served as a coverlet on the iron bed. The curtains were pale blue, plants grew in the windows, and there were bright cushions on the rocking chair. One wall was lined with bookshelves. He turned his attention back to her.

“You have a nice room.”

She stood close beside him, his arm tucked against her side as she worked. Her fingers were warm and soft. He looked at her lashes, which were feathered shadows above her cheeks. Her nape was bare, her neck slender and delicate, and he felt a warmth toward her.

She finished wrapping his hand, tying the strip of clean cotton cloth. “There. You’ll be well in no time.”

As he looked into her eyes, he thought she had beautiful eyes, more so each time he paused to gaze into them. “Thanks, Mary. This room is different from the rest of the house.”

“It’s my own special place when I have to get away from the others.”

“I used to have a place like that, only mine was outside on a mountain.”

“Why did you leave home?” Instantly she frowned, her straight reddish-brown brows drawing closer together. “I’m sorry. I don’t ever mean to pry.”

“If there was ever anyone on earth who could keep a secret, I’d guess it’s you. I got in trouble and had to leave.”

“I didn’t mean to ask,” she said, putting her hand on his wrist. “And I’m sorry.”

He was aware of her nearness, of her wide eyes searching his, her sweetness. “It was a long time ago,” he answered abruptly. “I should get back to work. Thanks for the bandage. Come talk to me while I work.” Afraid he had sounded harsh or angry, he smiled, placing his arm casually across her shoulders. She walked with him down the hall and sat to watch him as he returned to work. In minutes she was helping him.

The last week in March, Dan had letters to post. He usually took them to Lyle Workman’s store, where the mail service was located. This time, as Lyle weighed a package Dan was mailing to San Antonio, Dan stood talking to him about the fall weather and the new businesses that had just opened. Dan glanced down at two stacks of posters tied in twine that were the new mail that had just arrived. His blood ran cold as he saw the picture and name on a poster—Tigre Danby Castillo. The room seemed to spin, and he took a deep breath and glanced at Lyle, who stood with his back turned while he adjusted the scales.

Dan looked at his picture. It was a drawing of him
with long hair, a beard, and a mustache. He wore the bear-claw necklace, and his hat was pulled low over his forehead. He wondered if anyone could see the resemblance. After all this time, he had almost forgotten the past. He felt safer in Denver than he had anywhere since he had started running, and now there would be a poster of him in the sheriff’s office, perhaps in the store.

“That will be seventy-five cents.”

“Fine. How’s business?” he asked, barely knowing what he said, wishing he had turned over the stack.

“Going right along. Every time new travelers arrive, I sell more goods. I may expand. I’m thinking about moving from here by the stage depot over to the new train depot. Sold three more of Paddy’s wooden animals this last week. And someone else wants him to do a special carving. I told them to hunt him down in the Lazy Dog or the Missouri House. Here’s your change.”