Bound For Eden (11 page)

‘Ain't you even a little mad that you won't be getting any money from him because of her?' Seline goaded.

Dolly's eyes narrowed. She looked back and forth between Alex and Luke.

‘It was a misunderstanding,' Luke told her with a regretful sigh. He looked over at the beauty, who was still holding the spittoon like it was a battleaxe. She'd left the sheet in the corner of the room, and was magnificently displayed in the sheerest of linen. Legs as perfect as the rest of her. ‘I thought she was a new girl,' he said.

‘No,' Dolly replied, also with a sigh of regret, as she too regarded the curves revealed by the skimpy underwear. The chemise was still gaping, revealing the ripe swell of Alex's cleavage. ‘I wish she were. But Beatrice here is a preacher's daughter. The working life ain't for her.'

A preacher's daughter? Luke's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He hadn't thought a preacher's daughter could kiss like that. ‘You're related to a preacher?' he drawled, giving Dolly a dubious look.

She raised her nose in the air. ‘I'm a Christian woman,' the whore said proudly, ignoring the titter from the girls behind her. ‘Now you lot clear out so my cousin can make herself decent.'

‘I'm still free . . .' Seline said invitingly, tilting her head to look up at Luke. He dropped her in disgust.

‘Sorry about the mix-up,' Dolly apologised. ‘Any of the others will look after you.'

‘I've lost my appetite,' Luke replied, his gaze lingering on Alex. Dolly sighed. That was the problem. You couldn't show a man a steak dinner and then serve him cabbage soup . . .

‘It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Beatrice,' Luke said slowly, holding her gaze. ‘I'm sorry if I gave any offence.' He noticed the way she was breathing quickly and a languid smile spread across his lips. ‘Hopefully I'll see you again before I leave.'

He inclined his head politely and headed back downstairs to take care of the oxen. He whistled as he went. There'd been no mistaking the desire in those hazy gray eyes, or the earlier heat of her kiss. Luke had a feeling that if he got her alone again she'd forget all about being a preacher's daughter . . .

Alex turned scarlet under Dolly's amused and knowing stare.
‘Beatrice?'
she asked, in an effort to distract the older woman. She wrinkled her nose at the name.

Dolly shrugged. ‘It was the best I could do off the top of my head. I do have a cousin Beatrice, only she ain't a preacher's daughter, and she's nowhere near as pretty as you. In fact, she ain't pretty at all.'

‘Are my clothes dry?'

Dolly lifted an eyebrow.

‘I should be getting back now,' Alex said evasively.

‘Oh, I'll get them for you,' Dolly told her, sinking down onto the mattress and leaning back on her arms. ‘As soon as you tell me what was happening in here to make Seline so jealous.'

If it was possible, Alex turned an even more vivid shade of scarlet. ‘I was sleeping when he came in.' Her voice was shaking, so she paused.

Dolly's eyes twinkled wickedly. ‘So our dashing Mr Slater came in and found Sleeping Beauty. I can just imagine the look on his face – he must have thought he'd struck gold.'

‘When I woke up he was kissing me,' Alex admitted.

Dolly grinned. ‘And you, being a good preacher's daughter, screamed and slapped him roundly across the face.'

Alex regarded her feet miserably and Dolly collapsed, laughing. ‘Oh darlin',' she gasped, ‘there ain't nothing to be ashamed of. That man could have a nun flat on her back in a minute.'

‘I thought you were a Christian woman,' Alex scolded, scandalised.

‘So how did it feel?'

‘What?' Alex snapped, being deliberately obtuse.

Dolly laughed again. ‘Fine. Keep it to yourself. I'll send Mary up with your clothes and a pot of muck.'

‘What is everyone going to think when “Beatrice” disappears?' Alex asked her curiously.

Dolly gave a dismissive wave of her hand. ‘Oh, I'll just tell them you were disgusted by my profession and left to stay at a respectable hotel.'

‘Oh.' Alex looked at the room key, still lying on the dresser where she'd left it.

‘I've got no problem if you still want to use the room,' Dolly assured her, ‘but I think you'd be taking a gamble. That Seline will be watching out for you, and she's mean when she gets riled.'

‘I noticed,' Alex said, gingerly feeling her still-stinging scalp.

‘Well, it's been a pleasure,' Dolly said, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. ‘Do come for a visit – as the boy – before you leave. I ain't been so entertained in years.' She paused in the doorway. ‘Once you've mucked yourself up, head down the balcony stairs, and try to keep out of sight. There's been enough drama today.'

Once Dolly had left, Alex moved to the window and peered through the lace curtain. She could see Luke below, drawing water from the well, and striding towards him, hips swinging, was mean old Seline. Alex ground her teeth. She wished Mary would hurry up with her clean clothes; she was itching to hear what the buxom redhead was saying to him.

Eleven

Luke didn't much care to hear what Seline had to say. He'd had it with the lot of them. Moping and weeping and pleading and scolding – like they had some kind of claim on him. ‘I ain't looking for a wife, you know,' he grumbled, as he lugged water into the stable for the oxen. The fact that he was looking after livestock that didn't even belong to him made him feel blacker still. Where the hell was that runt?

‘Don't be mad,' Seline pouted, following him.

‘What else am I s'posed to be? You barge in on me and act like some jealous shrew . . .' He trailed off in disgust and emptied the water into the trough. The two oxen immediately shoved their big slimy noses in and started slurping. He saw Seline eye them with distaste and couldn't resist a grin. ‘I ought to throw you in there with them.'

‘I think you're being awful unfair,' Seline told him hotly. ‘You only come to town once a year. Why should I give up my few nights a year just because Dolly's got some cousin who is willing to give it away for free? You did promise you'd come back for a visit with me today.'

Luke sighed. ‘I s'pose I did,' he admitted. ‘And I was going to, but then you got unreasonable about Victoria.'

‘Victoria?' Seline's face darkened again.

‘The runt's sister. And there you go again, looking like some kind of thundercloud.'

Seline sashayed closer and rested her palm against his chest; she tilted her head and looked up at him through her lashes. ‘I'm sorry. You know I'm a passionate girl.' Her hand trailed down his chest, to his stomach, and lower. ‘Ain't that why you like me?' She fitted her body to his, and rose on tiptoe to kiss him, her tongue assaulting his mouth instantly.

Alex couldn't believe it. Within half an hour of leaving her bed he was all over another woman. She grabbed a hay bale and tried to hurl it into the stall where the oxen were still snorting and slurping at the trough. The bale bounced off the rail and thudded into Luke, knocking him and his whore sideways.

‘Watch what you're doing,' Seline snarled.

‘Sorry,' Alex muttered, in a voice that implied she wasn't sorry at all.

‘Where in the blazes have you been?' Luke said. ‘I've got better things to do than look after your animals.'

I bet, Alex thought sourly, remembering the intense blackness of his gaze and the heat of his kisses. ‘Dolly tried to make me take a bath,' she mumbled, inventing quickly.

‘Don't look like she succeeded.'

‘I don't like baths,' Alex said sullenly, even as she thought longingly of the hot water and the musky rose soap she'd enjoyed. What a waste. Now look at her, filthy again, and looking for all the world like a flat-chested, prepubescent boy.

‘I'm amazed Dolly let you touch her, looking like that.'

Alex blinked.

‘Don't look all innocent at me,' Luke accused. ‘She went and confessed everything. In my book you're far too young. Mark my words, you've time enough to waste your gold chasing after women.'

‘Hypocrite,' Seline giggled. ‘Don't listen to him, you can come and waste your gold with me any day.'

Alex gave her a black look.

‘Here's your change.' Luke tossed her the bag of gold. It was considerably lighter, and the few pieces left made a disconsolate clicking sound as she caught it. She glanced over at Blackie Junior, happily munching on his oats. What had she been thinking? What did she need with a horse?

It was all
his
fault; she wouldn't have even been at the auction if it hadn't been for him. He was nothing but trouble. Alex glared at him.

Luke didn't notice. He was too distracted by Seline's wandering hands. ‘I'll go for half-price,' she was whispering in his ear, ‘and I'll make it
all
up to you.'

Alex scowled. The man didn't care which woman he was with. She had to resist the urge to give him a kick.

‘Make sure they're fed,' Luke told Alex absently, as he let Seline lead him from the stable.

Alex had to bite her tongue at dinner that night when Victoria was singing his praises. They were holed up in their room, eating picnic-style on the bed, hiding from the Gradys.

‘Don't you think it's the sign of a true gentleman to look after us this way?' Victoria twittered.

‘We're paying him,' Alex grumbled.

‘Speaking of money,' her sister said, pausing and pursing her lips, ‘Luke told me what you did.'

Alex's head snapped up and her cheeks flared scarlet. For an instant she could feel the brush of his fingers against her bare skin and that strange, insistent pulse deep inside . . .

‘The horse?' Victoria prompted.

Of course. Blackie Junior. Alex pressed her cool palms to her cheeks, silently berating herself. Luke had no idea he'd kissed her today. In his mind, he'd kissed Dolly's cousin.

‘You know we need that money,' Victoria said primly, ‘but Luke said not to scold you. He said that you did it out of the goodness of your heart. That you knew he didn't have the money here in Missouri to pay for the horse. He told me about how when we get to Oregon he's going to buy the horse from us.'

‘He did, did he?' Alex said darkly. Why that mercenary . . .

‘We're not selling Blackie Junior are we, Alex?' Adam asked in alarm, looking up from the mashed potato he'd been shovelling into his mouth.

‘Don't talk with your mouth full,' Victoria reprimanded him. ‘Where are your manners?'

Alex gave Adam's arm a squeeze and shook her head ever so slightly, and he returned to his potatoes happy. She'd be damned if she'd give that man the satisfaction.

‘Luke's arranged a meeting of everyone in our party tomorrow at Mrs Tilly's Tearooms,' Victoria chattered happily. ‘So we can see who we're travelling with, and so he can give us some final instructions.'

‘When exactly did he tell you this?'

‘When he brought Adam back. He showed me the oxen – they really are ugly, aren't they? I think I should have preferred mules. But I suppose Luke knows best.'

Alex wondered when he'd become ‘Luke', instead of ‘Mr Slater'. He was a fast worker, that was for sure. She bit her lip as she regarded Victoria's dreamy expression. She sure would hate for her sister to get hurt.

She was mighty tempted to tell him so, the next day at the tearooms, when he greeted Victoria with an enormous smile. Victoria practically turned to liquid. Flirting with whores was one thing, but leading on an innocent like her sister . . .

‘Now we're all here, I'm going to make a few announcements, and run through the equipment and supplies you should have, and then we'll just take the time to get to know one another,' Luke declared, after they had settled themselves in Mrs Tilly's side room.

Mrs Tilly was a widow in her fifties, she had rosy cheeks and sparkling blue eyes, and was clearly smitten with Luke.