She deliberated upon his explanation, finding it quite sound. “How interesting. And what—”
“Can we start for Templeton now. Miss Worth?” Roman demanded. “Or would you rather keep beheading this flower family and then continue on toward the Oklahoma Territory?”
Lifting her skirts, she started up the hill. “I assure you, Mr. Montana, that by nightfall I would have realized my error in direction. I would have understood immediately that I was following the North Star, which, of course, would have alerted me to the fact that I was traveling north. To find the North Star, I would simply have had to locate the constellation Ursa Major. Across from said constellation is another, Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia is composed of five stars. The North Star is located between the middle star of Cassiopeia and the star at the end of Ursa Major’s bowl. So you see? I would not have even come close to the Oklahoma Territory.” She reached the top of the slope and continued into the dim thicket.
Following her, Roman decided that the three would-be gold thieves presented no danger to her. She was perfectly equipped to defend herself by attacking them with her intellect.
They’d die of sheer boredom.
And he had no doubt that he would meet the same fate before reaching Templeton.
Chapter Three
Tugging at the neckline ofher thick flannel nightgown, Theodosia emerged from the private spot she’d found in the woods.
Roman decided her nightwear was about as sexy as a burlap sack. Irritating though she was, she did have a few nice curves he’d hoped to get a peek at.
“I’ve never bathed in a moonlit stream before, Mr. Montana. Nor have I ever eaten rabbit cooked over an open fire.”
How like a woman, he thought. No matter what a man did, they were never satisfied. “The nearest hot-water-filled tubs and restaurants are in Wild Winds, a town about five miles northwest of Templeton. A cool stream and charred rabbit are the best I can provide. If you don’t like it—”
“My goodness, Mr. Montana, I voiced no complaint. What reason do you have to become so defensive?”
Reason? he repeated silently. He had thirteen years worth of reasons, and every time he thought of them he cursed himself for a fool.
Never—not for as long as he lived—would he be stupid enough to bow to a woman’s bidding again.
“Mr. Montana?”
“What?”
Theodosia shrank back. He’d growled the word. Indeed, if he had had fangs, she felt sure he would have bitten her. He was quite the most fascinating study of hostility she had ever encountered.
“Are you going to stand there staring at me all night, Miss Worth?”
She sat upon her sleeping pallet, hugged her bent knees to her chest, and watched the dying flames of the campfire. Overhead, branches of post oak and blackjack rustled in harmony with the warm and gentle night breeze. She was going to enjoy her first night under the stars. It would prepare her for the nights in Brazil, where she would most likely sleep in the jungle. “What was it that changed your decision not to accompany me to Templeton, Mr. Montana?”
“The money,” Roman lied from his spot on the other side of the fire. He tossed his empty plate aside. Taking a long swallow of water from his canteen, he appeared relaxed.
But every fiber in his body tensed with readiness. No sound escaped his attention. He’d checked the campsite thoroughly and had discovered no sign of the outlaws. It occurred to him that he might have been wrong in thinking they were after Theodosia’s gold. Maybe they’d given up the hunt.
Ha! The sooner he got Theodosia to Templeton, the safer she and her dizzying amount of gold would be. “We’ll be traveling hard tomorrow. Get some sleep.”
John the Baptist spoke before Theodosia could.“Przjez caly dzien wczoraj wozil buraki z pola.”
Theodosia laughed.
Roman had the distinct impression that woman and bird were making fun of him. “What are the two of you talking about?”
“Przez caly dzien wczoraj wozil buraki z polais Polish and means, ‘All day yesterday he was carting beetroot from the field.’”
“Beetroot? Why the hell is he talking about beetroot?”
“He doesn’t know what he’s saying, Mr. Montana. He’s merely repeating what he has heard. Several months ago, Upton entertained a Polish doctor, and the beetroot statement was one the man told us we could practice in order to get a better feel for the language. John the Baptist remembered it.”
“John the Baptist,” Roman mused aloud, shaking his head. “Why’d you name him that?”
The parrot stretched out his neck. “Any simpleton could figure that out!”
