Hannah Howell (13 page)

“Get off your high horse. So, okay, I put that wrong."

"Sí.
You did."

“You are Royal's lover. Better?” he asked sarcastically.

"Sí,
better."

“Thank you. So, you are Royal's lover, yet tonight you've been hanging all over Oro."

“Hanging all over him?” Antonie felt somewhat insulted by his description.

“And he's been hanging all over you,” Cole continued doggedly, “or near enough. I just want to know what you're stirring up."

“I am just enjoying the fiesta."

“I'm not blind, Toni."

“No, but maybe you do not see too clearly, eh? I have only one lover. I need no more. I want no more."

She met his long, studying look calmly. Her words had been the truth. It was easy to face him squarely. Cole finally nodded. “Okay."

“Okay what?"

“Okay, I believe you."

"Gracias.
Not that it is your business anyhow."

“No? We have a long cattle drive starting the day after tomorrow. Besides all the usual trouble we can face, we might also be harassed by Raoul or some other hired guns. A romantic triangle is a fine knot of trouble in itself and we don't need it. Royal goes and gets too involved in a mess like that and I might end up leading the drive, and I sure as hell don't want that. Leadership's something I try real hard to avoid, even if it means sticking my nose into other people's business."

“There is no triangle."

“Well, maybe you ought to stop playing it so close to Oro."

“I will play it close to Oro if I want to. I will tell Royal what I told you."

“Yes? That might not be good enough, darling. I can be charitable. You ain't my lover. Royal might have a few doubts."

“That is his problem."

She moved away from Cole, not wanting any more discussions on the matter. It was far too tempting to give him a fuller explanation. Antonie knew how easily she could be seen as the villainess and she dreaded that. The last thing she wanted to be seen as was a fickle lover. She was glad when Cole returned to the guests near Royal, for it meant an end to the matter. Antonie doubted that Cole would raise the subject again once some time had passed.

After a few Irish jigs with the O'Malley brothers and a tiring but sensuous Spanish dance with Oro, Antonie decided she needed to rest her feet. It had been a long time since she had danced. She had forgotten how exhausting it could be.

Sitting beneath a large tree, Antonie removed her shoes. She smiled a little when she saw that the path to the privy reserved for the women ran right by her. It was proving to be a well-traveled path. Antonie gaily returned the greetings some women gave her and coolly ignored those who ignored her. It was as she was tugging her shoes back on that she caught a glimpse of a lavender skirt out of the corner of her eyes. Inwardly she grimaced, for she recognized the fine silk dress. Antonie looked up and met Marilyn's glare with a cool smile.

“I see you did not heed my words,” Marilyn said.

“Ah, those words were to be heeded, eh?” Antonie slowly stood up.

“Of course they were, but you didn't listen to a single one."

"Sí,
I did, and I have seen that you spoke the truth. You are certainly not standing idly by.” Antonie found some satisfaction, if small, in the fact that she was so clearly annoying Marilyn.

“Don't try to be funny. Now, for a while, I thought it would be to my advantage to let Royal get this frolic out of his system. A last bachelor fling is to be expected."

“Is it now?"

“Men will be men."

“I have never seen it otherwise,
señorita."

“However,” Marilyn hissed through tightly clenched teeth, “this nonsense has gone on long enough."

“I am thinking that it is not for you to say what has gone on long enough."

“Oh, but it is. I am, after all, Royal's fiancée."

“Ah, he has proposed, has he?"

Antonie found it nearly impossible to keep her voice light. She felt cold and had a strong urge to scratch out Marilyn's hazel green eyes. Perhaps even to indulge in pulling out every strand of the auburn hair the woman was so proud of.

“My dear, we have been engaged for months. If he hasn't told you, well, that rather shows what a fool you've been. The man is obviously using you."

“Is he? Perhaps,
señorita,
I am using him."

“Whatever it is, it will stop."

“Do you threaten me,
Señorita
Collins?"

“You know full well I do, and you'd be very wise to heed it and heed it well."

Watching the woman stride away, Antonie murmured,
"Sí.
At least that much we can agree on."

Briefly she thought about Marilyn's claim that she and Royal were engaged. Now that the first, strong heat of anger and jealousy had passed, Antonie could view it with more calm, greater clarity. Either Royal or Marilyn was lying about that relationship, and Antonie felt pretty sure it was Marilyn.

Feeling a little better, Antonie returned to where the hands carried on a celebration almost completely separate from that of Royal and his guests. Only the foreman passed between the two groups with any ease. Even though she would have liked to respond to Marilyn's threat by neatly cutting the woman away from Royal, Antonie decided to stay with the hands. Just as she reached the group, Justin suddenly appeared at her side.

“Why are you staying over here, Toni?” Justin asked.

“I think for the same reason these men stay over here. It is more comfortable."

“It's not because of bigots like Marilyn and her pa?"

“A little,
sí."
Antonie grinned. “I think Royal would not like it if I shot one of his guests."

Justin laughed. “No, reckon not, though I know it can be mighty tempting."

“Very tempting. Is that why you are over here?"

“Nope. I wanted a dance with you, and I finally figured out that I'd best stroll over here if I'm going to get one."

Glancing at a pretty little brunette she had noticed Justin paying marked attention to, Antonie teased, “Are you sure? I would not like to, how you say, queer your game."

“Hush your mouth, woman, and dance,” he grumbled laughingly, his cheeks touched with a blush, as he swung her into a waltz.

Antonie laughed at the look on Justin's face when he discovered that he had to practically fight to keep her as a partner. They both laughed heartily at the antics of the men who danced with each other, the one in the role of the woman tying a bandana around his arm, overplaying their roles until they became pure farce. By the time the dance was over both she and Justin were breathless from laughing.

“Get out of here, Jed,” Justin ordered with a laugh. “I want to talk to Toni for a while and I think she needs to catch her breath. Find another partner."

“Tomás,” Jed called as he moved away, “you be the lady this time."

“Oh,
señor,"
Tomás caroled in a high voice, “I cannot. We have not been properly introduced. Where is my duenna?"

“Tomás is mighty cheerful,” Justin observed with a grin.

“Tomás is mighty drunk."

“He's still standing."

"Sí,
but I have seen him pass out while he is still standing."

“I didn't think that punch was all that strong."

“It gets stronger when you add tequila as Tomás does."

“Ah, yes, that would stiffen it up a bit."

“Did you have something you wanted to talk to me about?"

Antonie hoped that she was not in for another uncomfortable discussion or a lecture. The night was only half over and she had already had two confrontations. Since the one with Marilyn was only a few moments old, she felt she deserved a rest before suffering through another.

“Oh, nothing really. I saw Marilyn corner you. Don't pay her any mind. She's a bitch."

“That bitch could become your sister,” she said gently but smiled, finding his concern a pleasant change.

“No. I don't think so.” He colored slightly and added softly, “Whatever might or might not happen between you and Royal, I think you've made him see her clearly, made him really look at the woman she is."

“Does he know you do not like her?"

“No, not really. I'm not really sure why I don't like her. She's never done anything to me or even said much to me. She's really prejudiced, but so are a lot of others. I didn't ignore it the way Royal did, but I'm afraid I sort of accepted it. Royal doesn't do that any longer. He's really looked at it and he hates it."

“Are you sure?"

“Oh yes. Tomás wandered over there and was carrying on with Cole like they always do. Well, Marilyn made some remark about the half-breed not knowing his place and Royal,” Justin smiled, “told her not to be such an ass."

“I'm surprised she still stands by him."

“She's determined not to give you any room tonight. He's working himself into a foul mood because of it, I think."

Antonie thought so, too. Several times she had caught Royal staring at her, a dark look on his face. She did not really believe it all had to do with Marilyn's tenacity, however. Some of Royal's darkest looks had come her way when she had been with Oro. She felt sure she was not going to be allowed any grace period.

“You know, there's another thing about Marilyn that's always bothered me some,” Justin said, breaking into Antonie's thoughts.

“And what is that?” she prompted when he fell silent.

“She never laughs. Not really. Oh, she occasionally gives one of those pretty finishing-school titters, but she never honestly laughs. Foolish reason to dislike someone, I reckon."

“No,
amigo.
What a person laughs at is as important as what she does not laugh at. It can tell you a lot about what is or isn't in her heart. A person who does not laugh?” Antonie shook her head. “It is a thing to notice and worry about."

“It is unsettling. Well, I'd best get back to Betty. I can see Clem sniffing around her."

“Ah, that one is all hands and no courage."

“Did he touch Patricia?"

“Not for long."

Justin grinned. “I'll bet.” Growing serious, he said, “Antonie, I hope that, well, whatever happens between you and Royal, we'll still be friends."

She smiled and said gently, “Whatever happens between me and Royal is just that—between me and Royal. It will make no difference to us.” She kissed his cheek.
"Sí.
We will still be friends."

As she watched him walk away, she smiled. It gave her a good feeling to know that at least one of the Bancrofts could look past her relationship with Royal, consider it a thing apart. She had a feeling that that attitude would be put to the test very soon.

“How could you do this to me?"

Antonie inwardly groaned as she faced Patricia. With so little time left to the evening, she had hoped that this was one confrontation she would be able to avoid. If nothing else, she was not really sober enough to handle it all that well.

“Do what to you,
chica?
I have not seen you all night, eh?"

“You know what I mean, Antonie. I'm talking about you and Oro."

“Me and Oro?"

“Oh, Antonie, you have Royal. What do you need Oro for?"

“I will always need Oro."

“But you knew I wanted him. You knew it."

“We cannot always have what we want."

“It was bad enough watching him run to the saloon all the time. Now you're going to make me watch him with you every day?"

“Don't look."

When Patricia gave a convulsive sob and raced off, Antonie sighed. She was really getting tired of making the girl cry. Even listing all the reasons for doing what she had done did not make her feel any better about it. She heartily wished that there was another way to handle the matter.

“What did you do to Patricia?"

"Ay Dios mio,"
Antonie groaned as she found herself face to face with an angry and protective Maria. “Nothing."

“Nothing does not make the
niña
run to her room to cry her eyes out."

After studying the outraged Maria for a moment, Antonie inwardly nodded as she came to a decision. Maria was a Mexican. The woman had a comfortable place in the Bancroft home, but Antonie knew that Maria had tasted prejudice, if only at Marilyn's hands. The woman would understand what was going on and why. Maria could prove a useful ally.

“Patricia wants Oro,” Antonie said flatly and nodded at the horrified look on Maria's face.

"Madre de Dios.
If that boy even touches her, he is a dead boy."

“I've tried to tell her that, Maria, but she does not hear me. She says her brothers are not like that."

“Well, I've not seen it in them. They are good men and they are fair. But Patricia is the only daughter, the only girl in the family."

“And their goodness and fairness might not reach so far, eh?"

"Sí.
Oro is a fine boy. I have seen this. I think that they have, too. Still, he has Yaqui blood and his papa was a
bandido.
Too many things the Anglos hate all in one boy.
Sí,
it could be asking too much."

“And, even if it was not, there are all the neighbors, the people in town. Many who would no longer speak to her. Her brothers would face the trouble, too, for they would have let her do it. She does not see it, Maria. I have talked and talked and Oro has tried to drive her away but—” Antonie shrugged.

“But now you must try to make her think there is another. I see it now. Ah,
chica,
they have put you in a very bad place."

“Better that than Oro hanging from some tree."

"Sí.
He would take her, eh?"

“In an instant, Maria. She does not see it, I think, but he is hurting. He knows all the trouble it could bring, and not just for him. He fights to stay away, but she will not leave him be."

“I will talk to her."

“Please. Try to make her understand. She is very young and has seen little of the ugliness of the world."

“Which is why she cannot understand what you tell her but, still, I will try. A shame,” Maria sighed as she started toward the house, “for they would have such pretty babies."