she said, smiling, and feeling very alive.
As Kane drove them the short distance to Tia’s house, she gave him a few instructions. “If people are to believe our engagement, perhaps you should be attentive to me,” she said cautiously. “Stay beside me, hold my arm, that sort of thing. And please help me out of the carriage.”
He nodded without looking at her.
“And smile.” she said. “Surely marriage isn’t that bad.”
“If I live through the engagement,” he said grimly.
The people already gathered in the Mankin garden were more than curious about Kane and Houston. Trying their best to act politely, they practically ran toward the carriage, then stood back and gaped. The hairy coal miner had been replaced with a gentleman.
Kane didn’t seem aware of the people’s reactions but Houston was very aware of them, and, with pride, she put her hands on his big shoulders as he helped her from the carriage. Slipping her arm through his, she guided him toward the waiting people.
“May I introduce you to my fiancé, Mr. Kane Taggert?” she began.
Twenty minutes later, when he’d been introduced to everyone, she felt him begin to relax.
“It wasn’t as bad as you thought, was it?”
“Naw,” he said a bit smugly. “You want somethin’ to eat?”
“I would love some punch. Would you excuse me for a moment? I need to speak to someone.”
She watched him for a moment as he started toward the tables of food and noticed how many women stopped to look at him. Meredith Lechner walked over to talk to him, smiling first at Houston as if for permission.
Mine, Houston thought, my very own frog-turned-prince. And it took only one lump on his head. She coughed politely to cover what might have been a giggle.
While Kane was busy, she walked toward Reverend Thomas, who stood alone on the outskirts of the crowd.
“You’ve certainly changed him,” Reverend Thomas said, nodding toward Kane, who now had three women near him.
“The outside perhaps,” she said, and her voice lowered. “I want to talk to you. Last week, in the coal town, Jean Taggert said she knew about me. How much does she know?”
“Everything,” the reverend answered.
“But how—?” Houston began.
“I told her. I had to. I wanted you to have a friend, a real friend, on the inside.”
“But what if I’m caught? Jean could be in even more trouble if she knows who I am. It’s bad enough as it is.”
“Houston,” the reverend said, his eyes on hers. “You can’t take all the responsibility by yourself. Jean came to me months ago and wanted to know the truth. I was glad to tell her.”
Houston was silent for a moment as she watched Kane laugh at something one of the women said, and she saw the women take a step closer. It’s not just me he charms, she thought.
“Did you know that Kane and Jean are related?” she asked.
“First cousins.” He smiled at her startled look. “As soon as I learned about your engagement, I went to Jean. Oh, the guards were reluctant to let me in, but I do have a higher boss than theirs. Neither Jean nor any of her family’s met Kane. There’s some secrecy about his birth, something about his mother. Jean’s guess was that she was a…ah, lady of the evening and Kane’s father had some doubt that the child was his. That would explain why Kane was put to work at Fenton’s rather than being reared by the Taggerts.”
“Do you know what happened to his parents?”
“Jean felt sure they were both dead. Houston,” Reverend Thomas put his hand on her arm, “are you sure you want to marry this man? I know that what Leander did must have hurt you but—.”
Houston didn’t feel she could listen to another lecture, no matter how well-intended. “I’m sure,” she said firmly. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must see to my fiancé before he’s stolen from me.”
“All right, but, Houston, if you want to talk, I’ll be here.”
As Houston made her way toward Kane, one person after
As Kane drove them the short distance to Tia’s house, she gave him a few instructions. “If people are to believe our engagement, perhaps you should be attentive to me,” she said cautiously. “Stay beside me, hold my arm, that sort of thing. And please help me out of the carriage.”
He nodded without looking at her.
“And smile.” she said. “Surely marriage isn’t that bad.”
“If I live through the engagement,” he said grimly.
The people already gathered in the Mankin garden were more than curious about Kane and Houston. Trying their best to act politely, they practically ran toward the carriage, then stood back and gaped. The hairy coal miner had been replaced with a gentleman.
Kane didn’t seem aware of the people’s reactions but Houston was very aware of them, and, with pride, she put her hands on his big shoulders as he helped her from the carriage. Slipping her arm through his, she guided him toward the waiting people.
“May I introduce you to my fiancé, Mr. Kane Taggert?” she began.
Twenty minutes later, when he’d been introduced to everyone, she felt him begin to relax.
“It wasn’t as bad as you thought, was it?”
“Naw,” he said a bit smugly. “You want somethin’ to eat?”
“I would love some punch. Would you excuse me for a moment? I need to speak to someone.”
She watched him for a moment as he started toward the tables of food and noticed how many women stopped to look at him. Meredith Lechner walked over to talk to him, smiling first at Houston as if for permission.
Mine, Houston thought, my very own frog-turned-prince. And it took only one lump on his head. She coughed politely to cover what might have been a giggle.
While Kane was busy, she walked toward Reverend Thomas, who stood alone on the outskirts of the crowd.
“You’ve certainly changed him,” Reverend Thomas said, nodding toward Kane, who now had three women near him.
“The outside perhaps,” she said, and her voice lowered. “I want to talk to you. Last week, in the coal town, Jean Taggert said she knew about me. How much does she know?”
“Everything,” the reverend answered.
“But how—?” Houston began.
“I told her. I had to. I wanted you to have a friend, a real friend, on the inside.”
“But what if I’m caught? Jean could be in even more trouble if she knows who I am. It’s bad enough as it is.”
“Houston,” the reverend said, his eyes on hers. “You can’t take all the responsibility by yourself. Jean came to me months ago and wanted to know the truth. I was glad to tell her.”
Houston was silent for a moment as she watched Kane laugh at something one of the women said, and she saw the women take a step closer. It’s not just me he charms, she thought.
“Did you know that Kane and Jean are related?” she asked.
“First cousins.” He smiled at her startled look. “As soon as I learned about your engagement, I went to Jean. Oh, the guards were reluctant to let me in, but I do have a higher boss than theirs. Neither Jean nor any of her family’s met Kane. There’s some secrecy about his birth, something about his mother. Jean’s guess was that she was a…ah, lady of the evening and Kane’s father had some doubt that the child was his. That would explain why Kane was put to work at Fenton’s rather than being reared by the Taggerts.”
“Do you know what happened to his parents?”
“Jean felt sure they were both dead. Houston,” Reverend Thomas put his hand on her arm, “are you sure you want to marry this man? I know that what Leander did must have hurt you but—.”
Houston didn’t feel she could listen to another lecture, no matter how well-intended. “I’m sure,” she said firmly. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must see to my fiancé before he’s stolen from me.”
“All right, but, Houston, if you want to talk, I’ll be here.”
As Houston made her way toward Kane, one person after
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