temper but failed, since she felt Clayton's lecture was completely beside the point. "I am not trying to cause unnecessary strife, nor to question Mr. Royal's authority. I merely attempted to volunteer to take Paul Slaughter's guard duty and he refused to listen to me."
"As well he should for your idea is absurd!" Clayton responded with a booming laugh, dismissing her request with a sweep of his hand.
Her cheeks burning with the anger she could no longer control, Gabrielle sprinted away for had she remained for another second she would have slapped the grin from Clayton's face and she knew that would have caused her no end of trouble. She took several deep breaths as she neared her wagon, and finding Erica ready to mount the spritely mare she preferred to ride, she leaped upon Sunny's back, dug her heels into his sides, and called to her friend to hurry. They often rode ahead of their wagon to escape the dust even though Paul usually managed to join the beginning of the wagon train where the trail was the cleanest. By the time Erica caught up with her, Gabrielle had already decided she'd keep her confrontations with Jason and Mr. Home to herself, but Erica could readily see something was wrong and tried to ascertain what it might be.
"Where did you go this morning?" The green-eyed beauty asked with a careless toss of her honey-blond curls.
"Nowhere, at least it turned out to be nowhere," Gabrielle replied tersely.
Erica had already learned that while Gabrielle was the most patient of teachers, never tiring until she'd helped Marlene and Margaret, as well as several of the girls from the other two wagons, to become both confident and proficient riders, she was nonetheless maddeningly stubborn when it came to her own privacy. That she seemed to be filled with tantalizing secrets perplexed Erica all the more.
"Forget that I asked then," she replied flippantly. "I know you'll tell only what you wish to reveal and nothing more."
Startled by Erica's insight, Gabrielle drew back on Sunny's reins to pull him to a halt. "What does that remark mean?"
"I meant only that you are a very private person, that's all. It is not an insult and I did not mean you to take it as such." The last thing Erica wanted was to start a fight with Gabrielle since she liked her so much, but the young woman's refusal to confide in her frustrated her greatly.
Gabrielle nodded slightly, then turned Sunny back toward the trail. "I simply don't think my life is all that interesting a topic to discuss. I didn't mean to offend you."
With a bright smile. Erica accepted that apology. "We are friends then, aren't we?"
"Of course," Gabrielle replied promptly, the question seeming a silly one to her for she did not think a friendship already established could be so easily destroyed.
"Good. Now tell me who gave you your first kiss," Erica asked with a saucy grin.
Rather than be angry, Gabrielle replied with a jest of her own. "What makes you think any man has ever kissed me?" She'd never speak Beau's name, but she tried to recall just when he had kissed her for the first time. It had been years ago, at Christmas time. He'd brought her a bright green ribbon for her hair and she'd been so pleased she'd kissed his cheek. He
had quickly responded by kissing her upon the lips. Her aunt had come into the parlor then and had been very stern with them, sending Beau away and appearing to be as shocked as if she'd caught them making love upon her velvet love seat. Beau had winked as he'd run from the room, and she had thought him very brave for daring to be so bold in front of her aunt.
"Oh, I'm certain you've been kissed, and probably by more than one man too, but if you'll not admit il, I'll tell you about my first love. His name was Leonard."
"Leonard?" Gabrielle began to laugh for that name seemed so unlikely for any man Erica would love. "Yes, please do tell me about him for he sounds like a most romantic soul!" Marlene joined them then and Barbara too, and
"As well he should for your idea is absurd!" Clayton responded with a booming laugh, dismissing her request with a sweep of his hand.
Her cheeks burning with the anger she could no longer control, Gabrielle sprinted away for had she remained for another second she would have slapped the grin from Clayton's face and she knew that would have caused her no end of trouble. She took several deep breaths as she neared her wagon, and finding Erica ready to mount the spritely mare she preferred to ride, she leaped upon Sunny's back, dug her heels into his sides, and called to her friend to hurry. They often rode ahead of their wagon to escape the dust even though Paul usually managed to join the beginning of the wagon train where the trail was the cleanest. By the time Erica caught up with her, Gabrielle had already decided she'd keep her confrontations with Jason and Mr. Home to herself, but Erica could readily see something was wrong and tried to ascertain what it might be.
"Where did you go this morning?" The green-eyed beauty asked with a careless toss of her honey-blond curls.
"Nowhere, at least it turned out to be nowhere," Gabrielle replied tersely.
Erica had already learned that while Gabrielle was the most patient of teachers, never tiring until she'd helped Marlene and Margaret, as well as several of the girls from the other two wagons, to become both confident and proficient riders, she was nonetheless maddeningly stubborn when it came to her own privacy. That she seemed to be filled with tantalizing secrets perplexed Erica all the more.
"Forget that I asked then," she replied flippantly. "I know you'll tell only what you wish to reveal and nothing more."
Startled by Erica's insight, Gabrielle drew back on Sunny's reins to pull him to a halt. "What does that remark mean?"
"I meant only that you are a very private person, that's all. It is not an insult and I did not mean you to take it as such." The last thing Erica wanted was to start a fight with Gabrielle since she liked her so much, but the young woman's refusal to confide in her frustrated her greatly.
Gabrielle nodded slightly, then turned Sunny back toward the trail. "I simply don't think my life is all that interesting a topic to discuss. I didn't mean to offend you."
With a bright smile. Erica accepted that apology. "We are friends then, aren't we?"
"Of course," Gabrielle replied promptly, the question seeming a silly one to her for she did not think a friendship already established could be so easily destroyed.
"Good. Now tell me who gave you your first kiss," Erica asked with a saucy grin.
Rather than be angry, Gabrielle replied with a jest of her own. "What makes you think any man has ever kissed me?" She'd never speak Beau's name, but she tried to recall just when he had kissed her for the first time. It had been years ago, at Christmas time. He'd brought her a bright green ribbon for her hair and she'd been so pleased she'd kissed his cheek. He
had quickly responded by kissing her upon the lips. Her aunt had come into the parlor then and had been very stern with them, sending Beau away and appearing to be as shocked as if she'd caught them making love upon her velvet love seat. Beau had winked as he'd run from the room, and she had thought him very brave for daring to be so bold in front of her aunt.
"Oh, I'm certain you've been kissed, and probably by more than one man too, but if you'll not admit il, I'll tell you about my first love. His name was Leonard."
"Leonard?" Gabrielle began to laugh for that name seemed so unlikely for any man Erica would love. "Yes, please do tell me about him for he sounds like a most romantic soul!" Marlene joined them then and Barbara too, and
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