but the damage had been done. Nothing she could say or do—not even divine interference—was going to dissuade him. What was worse, he considered her and her efforts nothing more than mild amusement!
At that moment, if she’d had the power to, she would have had him struck down. By a bolt of lightning. By God’s hand. By any means available. As it was, though, she could only sit there, pick up her silver fork with the fancy A and K entwined monogram, and begin to eat her greens.
Despite her own silence, the table conversation did not lag. At Dillon’s subtle prodding, both Ada and Nina chattered about their homes. To Nina’s delight, Dillon had passed through her hometown of Marshall, Texas, on several occasions and even knew the street where she lived. Ada was clearly just as captivated by his familiarity with Piano.
“The train from Denver paused there only briefly, but even so, I could see that Piano has grown considerably since I was last there.”
That was when Lacie felt his gaze on her, and against her will she raised her eyes to him.
“Where are you from, Lacie? Certainly not from around here.”
“Kimbell is my home,” she answered coolly. “I’ve lived here most of my life.”
“But you weren’t born here,” he persisted.
Lacie paused. Although she hesitated to tell him anything about herself, she knew she was only being antagonistic. Telling him about her early childhood could hardly help him determine the truth about her marriage to Frederick.
“I’m from Mississippi, a plantation near Natchez. My father sent me here just before the War for Independence. My mother died the year before, and my old nanny was too ill to continue with me.” That should be enough to satisfy anyone, she thought.
But apparently it did not satisfy Dillon Lockwood.
“You were sent here to school, then. Why did you stay?”
Lacie was sorely tempted to say, “Because Frederick could not bear for me to leave.” But she feared Ada might inadvertently laugh and thereby ruin the effect. With great effort she stilled the nervous clenching of her fingers, then looked straight at him. “After the war the townhouse in Natchez was no longer there. The plantation had been burned. Taxes took the land. I had lost my father.” She paused, caught between anger at this impertinent stranger and sorrow at all she’d lost. “There was nothing left to go home to.”
For a moment she thought she saw compassion in his gaze. For an instant his dark green eyes almost seemed to glow with warmth instead of with the wicked fire she had seen in them up to now.
But the instant was too brief for her to be sure, and it was too far-fetched to be true. He harbored no compassion in his shriveled, unfeeling heart, least of all for her.
It was Nina who filled the uncomfortable silence. “You can come live with me, Miss Lacie.”
Lacie smiled fondly at her young charge and reached over to stroke the girl’s silky brown hair. “I can think of nothing I’d like better, dear heart. Who would take care of things here, though, if I were to leave?”
“But I’m gonna miss you. Please, come home with me.”
“Now, Nina,” Lacie began as tears welled up in the child’s sad eyes. “There’s no need for those tears. I promise you, everything will be just the same when you return after the summer.” She couldn’t resist shooting a baleful glare at Dillon. Couldn’t he see how his selfishness was going to hurt everyone, not just her?
“I’ll tell you what, dear heart. If you’ll wipe those tears away and try to be brave, I’ll let you ride into town with Miss Ada today.”
“Into town?” The girl sniffed twice and blinked her damp eyes at Lacie.
“Yes, and I’m sure I have an extra penny for a peppermint or two.” Then she glanced over at Dillon and assumed her most casual tone. “I’m sure you won’t mind if Nina and I tag along while you drive Ada to the railroad station in Kimbell.”
If he was disappointed that
At that moment, if she’d had the power to, she would have had him struck down. By a bolt of lightning. By God’s hand. By any means available. As it was, though, she could only sit there, pick up her silver fork with the fancy A and K entwined monogram, and begin to eat her greens.
Despite her own silence, the table conversation did not lag. At Dillon’s subtle prodding, both Ada and Nina chattered about their homes. To Nina’s delight, Dillon had passed through her hometown of Marshall, Texas, on several occasions and even knew the street where she lived. Ada was clearly just as captivated by his familiarity with Piano.
“The train from Denver paused there only briefly, but even so, I could see that Piano has grown considerably since I was last there.”
That was when Lacie felt his gaze on her, and against her will she raised her eyes to him.
“Where are you from, Lacie? Certainly not from around here.”
“Kimbell is my home,” she answered coolly. “I’ve lived here most of my life.”
“But you weren’t born here,” he persisted.
Lacie paused. Although she hesitated to tell him anything about herself, she knew she was only being antagonistic. Telling him about her early childhood could hardly help him determine the truth about her marriage to Frederick.
“I’m from Mississippi, a plantation near Natchez. My father sent me here just before the War for Independence. My mother died the year before, and my old nanny was too ill to continue with me.” That should be enough to satisfy anyone, she thought.
But apparently it did not satisfy Dillon Lockwood.
“You were sent here to school, then. Why did you stay?”
Lacie was sorely tempted to say, “Because Frederick could not bear for me to leave.” But she feared Ada might inadvertently laugh and thereby ruin the effect. With great effort she stilled the nervous clenching of her fingers, then looked straight at him. “After the war the townhouse in Natchez was no longer there. The plantation had been burned. Taxes took the land. I had lost my father.” She paused, caught between anger at this impertinent stranger and sorrow at all she’d lost. “There was nothing left to go home to.”
For a moment she thought she saw compassion in his gaze. For an instant his dark green eyes almost seemed to glow with warmth instead of with the wicked fire she had seen in them up to now.
But the instant was too brief for her to be sure, and it was too far-fetched to be true. He harbored no compassion in his shriveled, unfeeling heart, least of all for her.
It was Nina who filled the uncomfortable silence. “You can come live with me, Miss Lacie.”
Lacie smiled fondly at her young charge and reached over to stroke the girl’s silky brown hair. “I can think of nothing I’d like better, dear heart. Who would take care of things here, though, if I were to leave?”
“But I’m gonna miss you. Please, come home with me.”
“Now, Nina,” Lacie began as tears welled up in the child’s sad eyes. “There’s no need for those tears. I promise you, everything will be just the same when you return after the summer.” She couldn’t resist shooting a baleful glare at Dillon. Couldn’t he see how his selfishness was going to hurt everyone, not just her?
“I’ll tell you what, dear heart. If you’ll wipe those tears away and try to be brave, I’ll let you ride into town with Miss Ada today.”
“Into town?” The girl sniffed twice and blinked her damp eyes at Lacie.
“Yes, and I’m sure I have an extra penny for a peppermint or two.” Then she glanced over at Dillon and assumed her most casual tone. “I’m sure you won’t mind if Nina and I tag along while you drive Ada to the railroad station in Kimbell.”
If he was disappointed that
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