thought. Mercurial! He pulled off his clothes.It seemed he'd been possessed earlier, but now had come to his senses.
"Thank God," he muttered aloud for emphasis, and put out the light. Getting into bed he lay wide-awake for the next hour, staring at the ceiling, trying not to remember the sharp sweetness of Shelby in his arms.
* * *
In the morning, Shelby was stirring Irish oatmeal into a pot of boiling water when she noticed lacy flakes of snow gliding past the window. Eyes widening, she put a lid on the oatmeal and removed it from the flame, then went to the front door for a better look.
When Geoff came out of his room, his first glimpse was of Shelby, fresh and lovely, standing in a doorway a-swirl with snowflakes. She wore her oldest boots and a divided skirt made of worn leather, which signaled her intention to ride with the men that day. From the waist up, however, she was classically feminine in her crisp white shirtwaist with its high embroidered collar, and newly washed upswept hair, fastened with pearl-studded pins. Hearing his footstep, Shelby turned, her expressive face alight with pleasure.
"Look, Geoff! It's snowing—in May! Can you believe it?"
When he drew near, she reached out and took his arm, all affection.
"Quite lovely," he agreed, looking at her as he wondered about her mood.
"I wish there were enough to build snowmen and go sledding." She leaned her cheek against his shoulder for a moment, then the back door flew open and Cal, Lucius, and Marsh stamped into the kitchen. Shelby caught Geoff's sleeve before he moved to join them. "Did Mr. Manypenny have a good rest? I thought I'd let you have the first visit, to protect his pride and modesty."
"Tolerable," he replied, leading the way back to the stove, where strong coffee simmered in an enamel pot. "He seems to sleep most of the time, so he's spared the conscious knowledge of how sick he is."
Over a gigantic breakfast of oatmeal with fresh cream, raisin muffins, eggs, and ham, the group discussed the need to make up for lost time and get the fences finished. When Ben and Titus returned in a few days, it would be time for the first roundup, and Ben expected the fences to be in place. Until every animal they owned was branded, or fences were finished, their claims of ownership were fairly empty.
No one expected the snow to continue. Even Lucius, who'd lived in Wyoming all his life and had seen some serious spring blizzards, scoffed at the idea that this would amount to much.
It seemed a lark at first, bundling up and going off to work outdoors in the snow. Shelby put on longjohns and two pair of socks under the leather skirt and boots. Adding a thick knitted sweater over her blouse, she donned Titus's oilskin duster. Since he was a small man, it fit her.
To Shelby's surprise, when she came into the house's big room she discovered that Geoff had done more shopping in Cody than she'd realized. His new red longjohns were visible under a gray plaid flannel shirt. Chaps covered his dungarees, and last but not least, he unfolded a new duster and displayed it for Shelby's inspection.
"Magnificent!" she assured him. "Much nicer than this one of Titus's!"
Geoff laughed and put on the duster while she watched. It seemed that the long garment had been designed with him in mind, for the heavy white ducking complemented his tanned skin, and its loose, double-breasted cut, split up the back to facilitate horseback riding, was rakishly flattering. He added his white Stetson and drew on cowhide gloves, while Shelby followed suit.
"Did Mr. Manypenny eat his oatmeal?"
"A bit." Geoff held the front door for her and they went out into the storm.
"I must say, this would be a lot more fun if I felt more... myself." She glanced up at him, adding, "I think I may have drunk a bit more wine last night than was... prudent."
Geoff blinked once as he realized that she meant to dismiss it all, then he gave Shelby his oldest world-weary look. "Say no more. I drank so
"Thank God," he muttered aloud for emphasis, and put out the light. Getting into bed he lay wide-awake for the next hour, staring at the ceiling, trying not to remember the sharp sweetness of Shelby in his arms.
* * *
In the morning, Shelby was stirring Irish oatmeal into a pot of boiling water when she noticed lacy flakes of snow gliding past the window. Eyes widening, she put a lid on the oatmeal and removed it from the flame, then went to the front door for a better look.
When Geoff came out of his room, his first glimpse was of Shelby, fresh and lovely, standing in a doorway a-swirl with snowflakes. She wore her oldest boots and a divided skirt made of worn leather, which signaled her intention to ride with the men that day. From the waist up, however, she was classically feminine in her crisp white shirtwaist with its high embroidered collar, and newly washed upswept hair, fastened with pearl-studded pins. Hearing his footstep, Shelby turned, her expressive face alight with pleasure.
"Look, Geoff! It's snowing—in May! Can you believe it?"
When he drew near, she reached out and took his arm, all affection.
"Quite lovely," he agreed, looking at her as he wondered about her mood.
"I wish there were enough to build snowmen and go sledding." She leaned her cheek against his shoulder for a moment, then the back door flew open and Cal, Lucius, and Marsh stamped into the kitchen. Shelby caught Geoff's sleeve before he moved to join them. "Did Mr. Manypenny have a good rest? I thought I'd let you have the first visit, to protect his pride and modesty."
"Tolerable," he replied, leading the way back to the stove, where strong coffee simmered in an enamel pot. "He seems to sleep most of the time, so he's spared the conscious knowledge of how sick he is."
Over a gigantic breakfast of oatmeal with fresh cream, raisin muffins, eggs, and ham, the group discussed the need to make up for lost time and get the fences finished. When Ben and Titus returned in a few days, it would be time for the first roundup, and Ben expected the fences to be in place. Until every animal they owned was branded, or fences were finished, their claims of ownership were fairly empty.
No one expected the snow to continue. Even Lucius, who'd lived in Wyoming all his life and had seen some serious spring blizzards, scoffed at the idea that this would amount to much.
It seemed a lark at first, bundling up and going off to work outdoors in the snow. Shelby put on longjohns and two pair of socks under the leather skirt and boots. Adding a thick knitted sweater over her blouse, she donned Titus's oilskin duster. Since he was a small man, it fit her.
To Shelby's surprise, when she came into the house's big room she discovered that Geoff had done more shopping in Cody than she'd realized. His new red longjohns were visible under a gray plaid flannel shirt. Chaps covered his dungarees, and last but not least, he unfolded a new duster and displayed it for Shelby's inspection.
"Magnificent!" she assured him. "Much nicer than this one of Titus's!"
Geoff laughed and put on the duster while she watched. It seemed that the long garment had been designed with him in mind, for the heavy white ducking complemented his tanned skin, and its loose, double-breasted cut, split up the back to facilitate horseback riding, was rakishly flattering. He added his white Stetson and drew on cowhide gloves, while Shelby followed suit.
"Did Mr. Manypenny eat his oatmeal?"
"A bit." Geoff held the front door for her and they went out into the storm.
"I must say, this would be a lot more fun if I felt more... myself." She glanced up at him, adding, "I think I may have drunk a bit more wine last night than was... prudent."
Geoff blinked once as he realized that she meant to dismiss it all, then he gave Shelby his oldest world-weary look. "Say no more. I drank so
Similar Books
